Today a little boy (maybe 8-years-old) came to the reference desk and asked for Star Wars Something. He had a speech impediment, so he couldn't pronounce the letter R and I could NOT understand the last word he was saying. After asking him to repeat himself a couple of times, I told him that I wasn't certain what he needed and asked him to describe it (I was hoping more words would equal more comprehension). He did not feel inclined to acquiesce to my request. He left the desk a little huffily and I heard him tell the kid he was with, YOU ask her.
This reminded me of a time when I was a very bad librarian. Very bad. A man with many disabilities came to the desk to ask about some materials. Because of his disabilities, the man was almost impossible to understand. He asked me about two books. One was a religious book and one was something that sounded to me like Happy Birthday Four. I had to ask the man to repeat himself several times before I realized what the first book was and when I found it in the catalog, the book was checked out. I offered to place a hold on the book, but the man declined my offer. Then he asked me again about Happy Birthday Four. I really had no idea what he was requesting and I didn't want to keep asking him to repeat himself, so, true confession, I told the man that we owned the book but it was checked out. I was counting on him to say that he didn't want to place a hold, because that's what he'd done with the previous book. But, no! My plan failed. He wanted to hold Happy Birthday Four. So I pretended to reserve it for him. I. Pretended. To Reserve It For Him. That's pretty bad service, my friends. EXCEPT that I spent the next half hour racking my brain for a book that might sound like Happy Birthday Four and finally came up with Harry Potter 4. And I placed the man on hold for Harry Potter 4. And I hope that's what he wanted. And if it wasn't, someone else dealt with it, because the man and I never spoke again. True Story.
8 comments:
Oh, wow. I sometimes have trouble understanding patrons (especially children on the phone), but I've never pretended to place a hold before. That's kind of awesome. And of course very, very wrong. I think you were safe with your guess of HP4, though, so maybe it all worked out?
I know. So wrong, right? If ALA got wind of this, they would very likely want to strip me of my MLS.
Somewhat evil but funny.
On a totally unrelated note...I was thinking of you the other day because "Annie" was on (the 1999 version, not the 80s version) and I happened to catch, "It's a hard-knock life!" Remember when you were obsessed with that song? Well, now it's been in my head for 5 days. I can't get it out.... "instead of treated we get tricked! Instead of kisses we get kicked!" Ha ha.
I will never look at you the same way again MB. And I am going to be a lot more suspicious of the scary children's librarian who always acts like a witch...she probably is.
Man, I miss true confessions. I am thinking of one to share right now. Here is one: today I said "what's up coconut?" to a kid whom I have never seen before in my life. I think I scared him a little bit. Ha, I figure I will say whatever I want to these people in Rhinelander, WI. They don't know me and probably will never see me again, right?
Annie--That song continues to speak to me. My life is hard knock. The orphans and I are like THIS.
Eliana--You gotta watch out for children's librarians.
Alice--I miss true confessions too. I have a number of new ones.
That's hilarious. I would have never guessed that of you. :-)
that is both tragic and humorous. and i'm not sure i would have gotten "harry potter 4" from that; nice work.
on the other hand, i think "happy birthday four" is the a great book that needs to be written.
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