Thursday, November 26, 2009

Shock


In my small rural library, I’ve noticed that people shock me almost every day.  A woman came in one day and wanted to get a library card for herself and her children.  I always get excited when new patrons come in to get a card, because that means more people are off the streets and using my library instead of the Family Video or Barnes and Noble.  I want to make some comment, show a new patron something; anything that they can remember for the next time they visit my library.  I try to talk to every new patron who comes in the door, but sometimes I’m too busy or distracted by other tasks.  I was on the fringe of this conversation when the new patron admitted she had never read a book before.  I said she had never, ever, read a book before, in her life, and she was an adult standing there at the circulation desk, in front of me and my staff, my mouth most assuredly gaping.

A million things went through my librarian brain, like--where did you come from?  What school did you attend as a child? Where were your parents?  CAN you read?  How can I get you to check out just one book and actually read it?  I thought of all the opportunities already lost, the sick feeling in my stomach, the disbelief, my naiveté at the world that walks in my library door every day.  It was all just a jumble of too much information to react.  I thought how lucky I was to have this person walk into my library asking for a card.  It sickened me, it made my day, it made me want to do more, be more, have more, anything to keep this person coming back to my library.  People shock me almost every day, for a reason.  (Posted Nov. 26, 2009)

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