Most of the time I am your typical suburban housewife, and proud of it. But, in the essence of keeping my options open (and making a little cash) I spend a couple of nights or weekend days a week working the reference desk at a public library. It's an interesting roller-coaster of a job that I mostly love but there are certain special circumstances and encounters that I believe can only come from working at a public service desk. Particularly if you are a young woman who doesn't exactly fit the "librarian" bun-wearing stereotype. Most of us don't anymore by the way. So, for your reading pleasure I thought I would share some of the stranger things that have been said to me over the years.
"How much do the books cost here?"
"Do you have How to Kill a Mockingbird? The movie."
"You're a right handy ol' gal. You'll make someone a fine lil' wife someday."
"So, do you like, read and stuff?"
"Do you have any good Christian horror fiction?"
"Can you believe my son/daughter has this project during football/basketball/soccer season?!?"
"Can you tell me what to fill out on my tax forms?" Me: "No, I'm sorry we cannot give tax advice." Patron: "I'm not asking for advice, I just want you to tell me what to put on my forms!"
From a 13-year old "Maybe you and I could go get coffee sometime."
"I need to visit my brother in jail, but first I want to check and see if I have any outstanding warrants. Can you show me how to do that?"
"It's been a cold weekend, but I feel warm now that I've seen you again."
"I would like to know why the library has an anti-Jesus policy."
From the security office after closing time "Did you happen to see a Gatorade bottle with some leaves in it while you were cleaning up? Guy here says he left his frog."
Now that is some funny stuff.
ReplyDelete