From staff meeting:
Co-Worker 1: Who are you talking about?
Co-Worker 2: The scary guy who was friends with the crazy lady.
Co-Worker 1: Oh, not the smelly guy.
Co-Worker 2: No.
Library patrons are special. There's the guy who thinks he's bionic. He informs us that he's cured everything except old age and viruses. There's the guy obsessed with birds who loves my supervisor's feet. There's the girl with the plastic spider ring who confided in me that she's married to Spider-Man. There's the guy who leans against the desk and asks me, "Now, in your opinion, as a woman . . ." You know who would have fit right in at the library? Charles VI of France. He thought he was made of glass and worried that people tried to stand near him so they could knock him over and break him. Special guy.
6 comments:
I have to admit that my dad would probably be one of those "library patrons" that you have just described... He always tries to show off how many languages he knows (he doesn't really know any of them, just a few phrases).
He is always exagerating what people actually do. For instance my last job was VP of Operations. He told everyone that I was the Vice President over the International Division. I really just organized a bunch of pions (no offence MBC!) and told them all what to do and when to do it!
In public places, usually restaurants, he talks to everyone about anything. The waiters and waitresses oblige and laugh, but when they walk away, I can hear the same conversations you described forming in their heads as they walk back to the kitchen to discuss the dreaded "patron"!
Ha! What a description. :)
I am going to be very cautious about talking to any library employees from now on.
I had a well-spoken elderly British woman tell that I should get our building checked for radon poisoning. I asked what made her suspect that and she says she has a sense about these things. She's never been wrong, apparently.
mp--I can kind of imagine your dad in the library. It might be special.
Chou--An accurate description.
Eliana--As well you should.
Miss Nemesis--Well, then, I hope you're looking into your radon problem. My favorite wacky patrons are the ones who SEEM so normal. Until they speak.
Your stories of being a public librarian almost make me want to give up the academic librarian land. But trust me there are enough crazy students, I think they are just better at keeping certain things hidden, but I know otherwise. It usually comes out in their questions which have me going "huh? you want to do research on what?"
Is it bad that I am reading your blog and commenting while listening to General Conference? After a while I just have to do something else.
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