So polite, so nice. I wandered through the stacks with him and pulled out a selection of what he wanted.
After I had checked his books out for him, I went back to the office, talked to a co-worker about it, and got a little upset. It's not fair. It's not fair that this man who could've been my grandfather has to go through this frightening time. And here I have this responsibility to help him at the library.
People come to the library looking for answers. Sure, most of the time they come for romance novels or school projects or recipes. But there are other reasons people come.
I've searched for books on addiction, on cancer, on divorce. I've seen who gets the books on losing your spouse, or coping with difficult kids. It breaks my heart to give a book on recovering from sexual abuse to a patron, and I've done this more than a few times.
The fact is, people still depend on the library for answers. For serious issues, it can be helpful to have an actual book rather than whatever you find just cruising online. And I, as a librarian, feel like even though what I do is small, it is helpful.
I don't judge, I don't do double-takes, I don't make anything out to be a big deal. Someone needs my help and I give it to them. No questions asked.
Most of the time, I don't know what patrons are going through when they step inside the library. But once in a while, I get a glimpse. That's enough to keep me working hard to ensure everyone gets what they're looking for.
Even the tough stuff.
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