Life In The Stacks

Working in a public library is an interesting experience. I've been at it for eight years now, and while I can honestly say that I love my job, it certainly has its interesting moments.

I don't know what it is, but much like a bartender, people seem to have this insatiable urge to talk to you about their private lives in great detail. It's like they don't have any other outlet to go to, so they spill their guts to you. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's strange, and sometimes it's just downright horrifying.

I make this face right before I tell them to immediately see their family doctor.

I genuinely enjoy getting to know my patrons on a personal level. I think it's important to build a personal rapport with people, and to take the time to learn their names and quirks. People like that. I've made many friends at my job and have become a recognized member in my community, and that's a good feeling. I don't mind listening either, I really don't, but there are just some things that are not just up for public consumption.

But then... I consider the alternatives. At our centennial celebration, one of our regular patrons stood up in front of the crowd and told everyone how our library, and one staff member in particular, actually saved his life and kept him going. He commended us on our kindness and told us we were like no other place he'd been. We gave him a reason to go on. As the crowd applauded, I could feel the tears welling in my eyes.

I had a patron at one time who was going through a rough patch. She is a regular, and she told me how there were times when she felt like she couldn't go on. I reminded her what a special person she was, and told her that if she couldn't muster the urge to go on, what kind of message did that send the people who loved her? That told them that they shouldn't go on either. The next day, she approached me and thanked me for talking. Did I save someone's life?

It's a strange feeling. Sometimes, I wonder what I'm really in this world... a lot of the time actually. But it's those small moments when you realize the power of one... how important your presence is. Every day, we do things that we don't realize effect others, both good and bad. Can a simple compliment change someones day? Could just one more cruel action actually break someone? It's hard enough knowing your own state let alone trying to figure out everyone else's.

Everyday Superheroes

Working in a library is more than just putting books away... it's a responsibility to the community. No, the library doesn't exist to live someones life, cook them dinner, and tuck them into bed. But it does exist to check out books, answer questions, smile... and every now and then listen.