Not Practical? Or an Excuse?

            While the laser printer working on my feed, chirping, and sending papers out, I stood by the machine thinking of the short encounter I had with a colleague this Saturday afternoon. Close to lunch hour, I came across a gentleman whose questions were no difference from other caring parents except what’s on the recommendation list from a school teacher caught my attention and, right that moment, a decision was made: I have to help the boy and the father.       

            Hours later this episode dealing with this patron surfaced as I explained what I believed are right to one of my coworkers. This colleague told me that it’s not practical spending a long hour on a single patron, besides, it’s not your job; it’s the school and the parent’s job. Or, I silently thought, it’s a convenient excuse: just did what the patron asked for and not to pursue what’s the real need the patron was looking for.

No, not when I know and feel how a parent must be feeling when the situation is challenging and s/he doesn’t know where or how to start. You can name me a crazy librarian but I simply couldn’t let the patron walk out the building with books and wonder if this is what s/he could do to his/her only child. I could be his/her ally by sharing my own experiences raising two boys, teaching them how to read at a young age and checking out tons of books from a place called public library.

Back then, no one came to help so all I did were by instinct and guided by the needs my boys asked for. Some librarians I have dealt with back then didn’t help much: they were not as friendly as I was taught at customer service trainings. The expressions from their faces sometimes told me not to approach as if there was an invisible yet loud police’s yellow crime scene type standing between the desk and me cordoned off and protected their privacy. But I was happy and satisfied by the books we checked out from libraries: there were 3 different public libraries we used. Jennifer was one of the friendly CSRs back then and because of her usual friendly services I purchased goodies stuffed in a big bag and delivered it to the library where she worked; the same library she and I are working now.

Thinking of the purpose of public libraries one of the important functions a public library practices is the extension of education. Yes, there are formal education systems and there are family functions and parents’ responsibilities and duties. But do you ever wonder what happens when the functions fail or don’t work as well as they should be. Then where can a person ask for help?

I like questions more than answers for the front one invites creativity and imagination. Problems and mysteries excite me; they are opportunities and challenges for me to think, ponder, dance with possibilities, wring with obstacles, exercise my limits, and, sometimes, push me to walk out of my comfort zone and into the labyrinth of adventure wonderland.

As I told the gentleman a book report shouldn’t be just a boring school project; it could be hosting a party. And that’s exactly the idea I had for the father and son. What might motivate an 8 year-old kid? How about the impression he can play on to his 24 classmates? Let’s have a party then. The character in the book is a cow. So I had a cow mask in color red for the boy to put on after his classmates figure out what the story is about by the clues he implies at the beginning. Then he tells the story. After the story he will distribute different coloring patterns featuring cow to his peers along with word puzzles. The party will be ended by savoring animal crackers the boy brings from home. A simple party to complete his book report. Who defines how or what a book report should be like? One uses his imagination and creativity to have the project done, his style with help of his caring father.

I didn’t just spend the whole hour on single patron; Googling took time so did print jobs. In addition, I have a great mutual supporter, Abby, sat beside me helping the public. “I am a crazy librarian” I said so to Jennifer who was sitting at the page station working on checking in books. “Yes, you are” with a broad and understanding smile. That’s all I need: mutual supporters at work. Sometimes, I would become too attached to the patrons and it’s my coworkers who supported me and advised me when it’s enough and when it should be limited or stopped. One is just too small a number to greatness.

Yes, I admit that it’s not practical to spend too much time on a patron. The father didn’t ask too much; just to find those books on the list. It’s the father’s questions, voice, tone, and look that were calling me. Is it a librarian’s job to educate a person? Of course it is. Do you know what I believe in customer service? The best customer service is to educate the consumers. Donations of monetary or materials wouldn’t stop the poverty or improve a person’s status effectively. Job skills, knowledge and tools are better ways to inspire, motivate, save a person, and lift a soul.

Educate them, give them opportunity to identify their values, to discover who they are, show them directions toward hope and promising future. This is what a public library could do and matter.

Your dream starts @ the public library.