An unusually busy morning at Downtown Library. First a grateful and polite but very needy lady who has no computer confidence and needs to fill out a form, then one of my favorite ESL patrons, who says "I am so happy because everyone he is so helpful to me!", then an alarming call from a patron who wants the numbers for both www.shortdwarf.com and a local mental health helpline, then a call from Ms. Opp, who wants information about how to emigrate to Canada.
After that I go shush a woman who is talking too loudly on her cell phone. Actually, I don't even have to say anything, as soon as she sees me approach, she says to me "Oh, I'm sorry, honey, I'm too loud, aren't I?" and then says to her caller "Sorry, I gotta use my inside voice."
Patron who came up to the desk to ask a question, after I answered the question: Oh...also..is there a button I can press if I have a question, or do I have to come up here?
She wanted to know if she could press a button at her computer station indicating that she needed help, and the button would alert us and call us over, like a flight attendant call button. Sorry, that's, (say it with me now) not a service we provide!
Oh god oh god oh god don't let my boss hear that patron suggestion...next thing you know they'll be pushing buttons for us to bring them drinks...
ReplyDeleteI know, right!? I expect Small Town Library to implement it within the next few months.
DeleteMs. Opp? Is that a nick name? what does it mean? and did she want to talk politics?
ReplyDeleteit's short for Oddest Phone Patron. It's a nick name in that I use it, but no one else does. She actually did NOT want to talk politics, which is unusual.
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