Friday, January 29, 2010

Sorry we're not Office Depot

Today a man who looked eerily like James Lipton came to the reference desk and basically demanded that I let him have some index cards.
When I told him that we didn't have any index cards his shoulders slumped and he let out a long sigh. "I don't even know why you call yourself a library," he muttered as he stalked off in a huff.

9 comments:

  1. hahaha
    poor tortured patrons.

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  2. Yes! So many patrons ask for office supplies. I suppose they think that just because we let them take out books, etc., for free that we'll willingly give away all of our post-it notes and binder clips, too.

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  3. Tape. People are always asking to "borrow" the tape and then proceed to use enough to mummify a German Shepherd.

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  4. That's a new one: I just got asked for a can opener.

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  5. Tape yes! Apparently we have a couple of sisters at our library who are called "The Tape Sisters" and they always use up all the tape. All of it. We always get asked for envelopes and folders.

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  6. We get occasionally asked for envelopes too, we don't give them out, but I assume since they have our library's logo all over it I don't think the patron would really want them.

    Patrons can use the scissors, but must use them in front of us, which is embarrassing for all parties involved. Too many people walking away with our precious scissors (especially good pairs) and too many Disney character or Garfield books with pictures cut out of them.

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  7. We've had a can opener ask, too! A homeless guy wanted it for his baked beans or something.

    We only give out kiddie scissors at the desk since we're worried about our patrons having potential weapons.

    I cannot believe the office supplies they expect us to have. I got asked for a folder the other day!

    I love your name, by the way! :)

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  8. I know a handful of people who work or have worked in libraries, and I don't know how you folks do it. I put my time in at bookstores. Once a customer couldn't remember the title of a book she'd seen on a display, so she described it to me: "It was flat and squarish."

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  9. Yes -- we get that a lot too: "I'm looking for a book with a red cover, there was a girl in it...and her mom. Can you help me find it?"

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