Even if you work in a library setting, you more than likely patron a library as well. All the way through library school, while simultaneously working at another library, I still drug my ass to my local branch every Saturday or Sunday (sometimes both) to work on a Master's thesis that was mediocre at best. During this same time, I would make the occasional trip to Raleigh, and stop off at a branch to see how the other half lived. So going to the library has been a thing for me pretty much everyday since 2018. I'm not going to count the audiobooks I check out, from a bevy of libraries, on my smart phone to listen to in the car. But yesterday I had two interactions with my local library that just highlighted the great things people tend to forget or don't even notice about libraries.
Yesterday, during my lunch break I decided rather than waste the time and money eating out, that I would go to the library instead. There is a public branch around the corner from my academic library and Ive used it before during my previous stay in Raleigh. Cruising the stacks, I found a book that interested me but covers a difficult topic from U.S, Southern, 1950's and 60's history. In theory and ethically, I would never have to explain why I was checking out a book at the public library, still I was not in the mood to have to chat with the librarian about why I was checking out a book about this sensitive subject. Then, as if it was place there just for this very sort of thing (because it very much was), there appeared the SELF CHECK OUT! I was experiencing the for the first time, what many library patrons might feel every time the go to the library. That fear of otherwise embarrassing material was eliminated EXACTLY how it should have been by a process put there by well thought librarians.
Round one win: Library processes in place to make the patron feel comfortable!
Then last night, a good friend of mind and former colleague IMed me asking for reading suggestions. In the past I have passed along suggestions and being remarkably successful. Last night I hit a brain block of the worst kind. I knew what the book looked like, I knew the subject of the book, I even knew part of the book blurb from the back of the book. But I could not at all, for the very life of me, do the right search to the name of that book. So what did I do? I called the public library up from my house. This was roughly an hour before closing and well within the "shoving them out the door with your mind" period every closing librarian deals with. Still this great librarian helped me find the title, write up, and check out information for this random book that I could remember anything about....except everything. When my brain and Google failed....another librarian's brain and Google won!
Round two win: Librarians effortlessly finding random books from random, ill remembered facts.
These events aren't abnormal for librarians, of any ilk. As a rookie librarian, I once found an article about the health benefits of tacos....on the first try. Still, two great interactions with my library system at two very different branches is a great way to spend a day.
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