The library orderlies make me cups of tea and it feels a bit weird, like having serfs doing stuff for me. They have a tea-making rota and lock away all the tea bags and cups so no one can steal them. In the library they can make tea when they want and drink from 'proper' cups so it is viewed as one of the perks of the job. My manager advised me to bring in my own cup, preferably one that no one would want to steal. I bought a cheap one from a local charity shop, covered in flowers and butterflies, it's pretty hideous and I'm quite embarrassed to be seen drinking from it. No one has tried to steal it though.
I asked my colleague, John, if I should be offering to make tea for everyone - it's something I would normally offer to do - but I didn't want to step on anyone's toes. He said not to bother, that the orderlies consider it their job. It is definitely one of the perks of my job to be drinking tea in the library. At the last library I worked in, we had to hide our bottles of water under the counter because a manager or customer might complain about them, and we were definitely not allowed any hot drinks as we worked.
The prison library feels so civilised in comparison.
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