Yesterday, Boy G came to see me with his mother; Boy G is a five years old kid who just came
back from a visit to Europe . Shyly with an
open smile, the young boy gave me a piece of paper with colored Mickey Mouse on
it. At the bottom of the paper it said: To Mrs Mei, from Boy G. One could tell
from the hand writing the message came from a young child who just starts
schooling at an early age.
Receiving the paper, my eyes were wet and my
heart was full. Later, the mother told me there is another gift for me but it’s
not done yet. I like surprise I said. What a lovely evening the family brought
in to the public library. The public library is a place for the public to
access resources, to self-educate, and to socialize. The human touch is
priceless.
Without leaving
home, a person is able to reach out to the world through assistance of
telephone, cell phone, and internet service. The availability of downloadable
media allows patrons to read e-books, listen to music, and to watch DVDs at
home without a visit to a real library. Will the library be in danger of
extinction? Personally, I doubt. Beautiful pictures might be able to catch the
pretty landscapes and the awesome horizon. But, will pictures let you smell the
fresh air of the august mountains, touch the stingy cold water from a running
creek in the high mountain, hear the howling of a high wind at the top of the
mountain, or feel the daunting height of a mountain? A person has to “be there”
to actually understand what it means magnificence. Be there, present, and
personal.
People like to
visit their library for many reasons. For one, the public library is the few
place visitors will automatically lower their voices as they walk in the
building. The joy of engrossing oneself at a quiet place invites people to
come, sit, and read. People like to talk to the staff about things happened in
their lives. In return, the library staff respects their patrons and serves
their best to meet users’ needs. We love our library.
The books this
gentleman was checking out pique my curiosity. Later I learned he is a retired
chef who owned a shop of his own. Asked what his specialty is he said
chocolate. Now, breads? Yes. Our conversation went on and on, from bread to
philosophy of simplicity. After learning how kind of bread I like he told me he
would bring breads for me to sample when he makes some. “I would like to” I
said. One can never know what comes next…
It was 15 minutes
before closing hour. The mother and daughter need a book. Since it’s a book
from the classic reading list, I asked if the book was for school book report.
Yes. “Is there any urgency for you to have the book?” “Yes, I have to have the
book by next Monday.” Some copies are available but one has to go to the Central.
“No” they said, “we will go to the Half Price to see if we can buy one. Thank
you.” They left the information counter. But they needed the book, I told
myself. I was not satisfied. Then an idea came up. Our library system has
downloadable media. And there it is. The pair was still in the library. After
making sure they have a computer and internet access at home, I told them what
option they might have. “No need of an e reader. There is also a PDF file
version for a person to download and read the book on computer” I told them. So
I requested a book to be delivered to our branch. While they wait for the book,
they can read it at home through either computer or Kindle Fire (the daughter
told me she owns one). Never give up too soon even when others are fine with
the answers. Later I shared this interaction with my colleagues. They are awed
at “Always available” status of the book. My guess is because it’s an old book
and the copyright might be expired.
I wouldn’t be
satisfied with answers that didn’t meet patrons’ needs, not after I exhausted
the possible routes, methods, or tactics. Whenever there is a challenge or a
problem a patrons poses, I would become excited and thrilled. Never wastes an
opportunity.
The best service comes from who I am. At least I believe so.
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