Patron of the week (maybe)

Today a man was assaulted and choked by one of the participants in Wednesday's almost-fight. After the police came and took his statement I thought he had left, but he and his friend came back to the desk to ask "Can you tell me how I'd find a book on pre-calculus?"


I'm not sure if this is really stupid or if this man is the patron of the week.


Also, about an hour after the cops left, and after my colleague and I had put back all the chairs and tables knocked over in the fight and reassured Janis that everything was okay, I got a phone reference call from a woman who had a lot of questions about a company that makes car wheels and its long history of mergers and name changes and everything (we get more of this than many libraries since this is Michigan). When I had told her most of what she wanted to know, she said "Thank you so much! You were sooo helpful! You really made my day! If I could give you a raise, I would!" Also, I soothed the computer-complaint woman without the other complainer getting mad about her noise level again! Maybe the fight gave him some perspective (he did not complain about the noise that the fight, or the police interviews in the aftermath, had made).


This job can be a bit of an emotional roller coaster some days.