Why, Hello There!

Answering the phone at the library can be pretty risky.

Oh, most of the time you get your basic questions:

"Can I renew my books?"

"When is this due?"

"What time is this event?"

"How late are you open tonight?"

But answering the phone is still risky. Because when you pick up the phone and ask if you can help somebody, you become responsible. You have to carry through and help the patron until the bitter end of the conversation. Or until you "accidentally" get disconnected...No; I've never actually done that. Just considered it.
So here are a few examples of those more "special" calls:

1. As soon as you see one snowflake gently drift through the sky and fall to the ground, you can bet you'll soon have to answer 37 calls about whether or not the library is still open or if the library still charges fines if patrons can't bring their items in "because of the snow." Get a grip, people! Let's just wait and see! This call isn't so bad because it's short and to the point.

2. "My name is Shkilwenf Nsdfeinkncv." "I was wondering xzcxvi wfaerifj and aoweriwer shmfiwefe." Great. Whether it's a bad connection, a person with a mumbling problem, or a long, complicated name, this call is sure to be challenging. You can fake your way only so far with this call; sooner or later you have to give them an answer. Just pray that by some miracle you'll hit on the right name or solution.

3. It seems to be easier for some people to be rude on the phone. Maybe because instead of being confronted by a librarian's innocent face and friendly smile, they only have a voice on the other line. As soon as you answer the phone, you can tell that they have some kind of problem. Most likely unrelated to the library. All you can do on your side is be pleasant while making faces to release some of the stress.

4. "May I ask who I'm speaking with?" Great. They just asked your name. What does this mean? Are they pleased with the exceptional service? Or will this conversation come back to haunt you? Should you give a fake name? No. Say your name with pride. You've done nothing wrong! As soon as you hang up, though, play back the entire conversation in your mind, just to make sure.

5. You've just assisted a patron over the phone. All of a sudden, the line goes dead. You say "goodbye" to no one. What, does no one practice good telephone manners anymore?

Some of my favorite phone conversations are the random ones, like the woman who called to confirm the spelling of a word, or the mom who needed a recipe for baking pumpkin seeds. It's always fun to talk to someone who is sincerely thankful for the help. Those good conversations make the difficult ones a little easier to deal with. And as for the weird conversations? They just make for good stories.