Memoirs of a Public Librarian
I have wanted to work in a library since I was in middle school. I loved visiting the main library in Washington, DC where I grew up and marveling at the architecture and the volumes of books. My grandfather’s personal collection of classics like Huckleberry Finn, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, David Copperfield and many others sparked my love of reading and I would spend countless hours lost in the pages. Books opened a world far beyond my small bedroom - shared with my sister - and nourished my imagination. So, to no one’s surprise, I majored in English Literature with a minor in Classics when I went to college. I then went on to obtain my Masters in Library Science and specialized in Special and Public Librarianship. My first job was in a large corporate library for a Fortune 500 company. I was responsible for reading articles from a variety of business journals, then indexing and writing summaries of the articles to be put into an internal database. This was all pre-Internet, of course. Eventually I married, had children and started working part time in public libraries in the cities where I lived, including Jacksonville, FL and Princeton, NJ.
My true love for the profession developed while working in the public library. Helping people to find the information they wanted and needed turned out to be both challenging and rewarding. Patrons are very grateful when we are able to provide the information they so desperately seek! How to register to vote, where to find free ESL classes, recent articles on a health related topic, or directions to the airport, are just a few common questions. Not everyone is capable of “just googling” the answer to their questions and we are a gateway for those who need it.
No day is ever the same when working in the public library. Nothing in library school teaches you about the idiosyncrasies of the job. I have had to pitch in with duties that go far beyond librarianship, from emptying trash cans to reuniting patrons with their lost cell phones and lost children.
I once had a patron ask me for a book about the Sandy Hook school shooting never happening. Somehow I was able to maintain my composure and search for the title he requested - which was not available for purchase or interlibrary loan. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, of course, but it was one of the most uncomfortable situations I have been in as a librarian. Then there was the time a patron was going into diabetic shock and started talking deliriously. I assessed the situation, we called 911 and the man was taken to a hospital. Another patron fainted while teaching a class. Still another collapsed when stepping off the curb in the parking lot. One elderly patron accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the break and ended up nearly in the front door, taking a handicapped parking sign and trash can with her.
Patrons will ask me the most personal questions - and share the most intimate details about their lives - without the least provocation. There is no training for these types of situations and librarians have to be adaptable and flexible; it is a natural curiosity about the world and a desire to help others that is at the core of our profession.
Young patrons seems to confuse us with an office supply store, asking for paper clips, envelopes, white-out and calculators. Nowadays, technical knowhow is a necessity since librarians are often asked for help with downloading documents, creating email accounts, saving to flash drives and uploading pictures. Some older patrons who have received iPads as gifts come to us with the device still in the box and no idea how to use it. Once they have an Apple ID, we are able to assist them in their quest for free eBooks and audiobooks via the library’s website. It sometimes feels like we are an extension of an Amazon warehouse since patrons can request books and DVDs through our online catalog and then come in a few days later to pick them up!
All types of people are accepted at the library, regardless of appearance or social status. At one time, a homeless man regularly attended a movie program. He never spoke unless we spoke to him first but when he did, he enjoyed giving us feedback about the films.
Other patrons treat us like a second home, coming all day, every day to read newspapers, use the computers, study, talk with staff and other patrons and occasionally check something out. I have spoken with patrons who come from India, Pakistan, Mexico, Ecuador, Russia, Ireland, England, China and many other far flung places. Some patrons wear turbans, hijabs or saris. Some have mental or physical disabilities. They come using canes, walkers, wheelchairs, voice boxes, hearing aids. Everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We strive to answer every question, no matter how difficult or small, trivial or important, to the best of our abilities - from the smallest tot to the oldest senior.
It boggles the mind the items that are left behind in the library: cell phones and car keys, of course, but also flash drives, earbuds, gift cards, pillows, credit cards, and canes. We wonder how the people who leave car keys manage to get home. I’m guessing they have no idea where they left them. Once a car jack was found in the parking lot. No one ever claimed it. Another time, a friendly lost dog appeared. Fortunately, he was wearing tags and we were able to contact the local animal control who notified the owner. People have left clothing (we are not a drop-off location for the Salvation Army), including a brand new woman’s bathing suit top - tags still attached from Land’s End - and men’s shirts on hangers still in their protective plastic sheaths. They leave briefcases, tote bags, purses, wallets, water bottles, money, photos and other personal items. We do our best to reunite them with their owners whenever possible.
I can usually identify the book a patron is asking for even if they can only provide a few clues - like just one word in the title or one or two of the characters. A different way our investigative skills have been called into play has been when the local grocery store finds a set of keys with a library keytag and the manager calls us to let us know. Using the barcode we can often identify the patron and then let them know they left their keys at the food store. Sometimes photos, bills, checks or other important papers are left in books as a kind of bookmark and we have been able to identify the people in the photo or determine the identity of the last person who had the book checked out.
Working as a public librarian has been a dream come true for me. I have worked as a reference librarian on and off for 25 years and every day has brought a new challenge. Although some questions are repetitious - like “Where’s the bathroom?” and “What time do you close?” - the majority are not. It is always satisfying to find the answer to a question because I am learning right along with them. As I approach retirement, I look back fondly on my time at the reference desk with enough memories to last a lifetime.
Free For All: Oddballs, Geeks, And Gangstas In The Public Library by Don Borchert.
This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Cave Us All by Marilyn Johnson.
In the Stacks: Short Stories About Libraries and Librarians by Michael Cart.
The Laughing Librarian: A History Of American Library Humor by Jeannette C Smith.
Quiet Please: Dispatches From A Public Librarian by Scott Douglas.
No day is ever the same when working in the public library. Nothing in library school teaches you about the idiosyncrasies of the job. I have had to pitch in with duties that go far beyond librarianship, from emptying trash cans to reuniting patrons with their lost cell phones and lost children.
I once had a patron ask me for a book about the Sandy Hook school shooting never happening. Somehow I was able to maintain my composure and search for the title he requested - which was not available for purchase or interlibrary loan. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, of course, but it was one of the most uncomfortable situations I have been in as a librarian. Then there was the time a patron was going into diabetic shock and started talking deliriously. I assessed the situation, we called 911 and the man was taken to a hospital. Another patron fainted while teaching a class. Still another collapsed when stepping off the curb in the parking lot. One elderly patron accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the break and ended up nearly in the front door, taking a handicapped parking sign and trash can with her.Patrons will ask me the most personal questions - and share the most intimate details about their lives - without the least provocation. There is no training for these types of situations and librarians have to be adaptable and flexible; it is a natural curiosity about the world and a desire to help others that is at the core of our profession.
Young patrons seems to confuse us with an office supply store, asking for paper clips, envelopes, white-out and calculators. Nowadays, technical knowhow is a necessity since librarians are often asked for help with downloading documents, creating email accounts, saving to flash drives and uploading pictures. Some older patrons who have received iPads as gifts come to us with the device still in the box and no idea how to use it. Once they have an Apple ID, we are able to assist them in their quest for free eBooks and audiobooks via the library’s website. It sometimes feels like we are an extension of an Amazon warehouse since patrons can request books and DVDs through our online catalog and then come in a few days later to pick them up!All types of people are accepted at the library, regardless of appearance or social status. At one time, a homeless man regularly attended a movie program. He never spoke unless we spoke to him first but when he did, he enjoyed giving us feedback about the films.
Other patrons treat us like a second home, coming all day, every day to read newspapers, use the computers, study, talk with staff and other patrons and occasionally check something out. I have spoken with patrons who come from India, Pakistan, Mexico, Ecuador, Russia, Ireland, England, China and many other far flung places. Some patrons wear turbans, hijabs or saris. Some have mental or physical disabilities. They come using canes, walkers, wheelchairs, voice boxes, hearing aids. Everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We strive to answer every question, no matter how difficult or small, trivial or important, to the best of our abilities - from the smallest tot to the oldest senior.
It boggles the mind the items that are left behind in the library: cell phones and car keys, of course, but also flash drives, earbuds, gift cards, pillows, credit cards, and canes. We wonder how the people who leave car keys manage to get home. I’m guessing they have no idea where they left them. Once a car jack was found in the parking lot. No one ever claimed it. Another time, a friendly lost dog appeared. Fortunately, he was wearing tags and we were able to contact the local animal control who notified the owner. People have left clothing (we are not a drop-off location for the Salvation Army), including a brand new woman’s bathing suit top - tags still attached from Land’s End - and men’s shirts on hangers still in their protective plastic sheaths. They leave briefcases, tote bags, purses, wallets, water bottles, money, photos and other personal items. We do our best to reunite them with their owners whenever possible.
I can usually identify the book a patron is asking for even if they can only provide a few clues - like just one word in the title or one or two of the characters. A different way our investigative skills have been called into play has been when the local grocery store finds a set of keys with a library keytag and the manager calls us to let us know. Using the barcode we can often identify the patron and then let them know they left their keys at the food store. Sometimes photos, bills, checks or other important papers are left in books as a kind of bookmark and we have been able to identify the people in the photo or determine the identity of the last person who had the book checked out.Working as a public librarian has been a dream come true for me. I have worked as a reference librarian on and off for 25 years and every day has brought a new challenge. Although some questions are repetitious - like “Where’s the bathroom?” and “What time do you close?” - the majority are not. It is always satisfying to find the answer to a question because I am learning right along with them. As I approach retirement, I look back fondly on my time at the reference desk with enough memories to last a lifetime.
Free For All: Oddballs, Geeks, And Gangstas In The Public Library by Don Borchert.
This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Cave Us All by Marilyn Johnson.
In the Stacks: Short Stories About Libraries and Librarians by Michael Cart.
The Laughing Librarian: A History Of American Library Humor by Jeannette C Smith.
Quiet Please: Dispatches From A Public Librarian by Scott Douglas.
- Yolande Z., Hickory Corner Branch
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