7 Secrets Your Librarian Won't Tell You

You ever read Reader's Digest? It may be for old people (as evidenced by the certain types of medical advertisements), but I read it when I can get my hands on it. I've seen articles about what your waiter/house cleaner/mall Santa/flight attendant won't tell you, and I keep waiting to see a librarian version.

As I have yet to see one, I thought I'd create my own. If you read this blog, you probably already know more than the average library patron. But here's a quick list of secrets for you anyway.

1. We talk about you. It's a customer service job, and we get to know the customers. We talk about you if you're nice, we talk about you if you're mean, we talk about you if you're weird. If we don't talk about you, you're really, really average.

2. We will work with you. We want you to have a good library experience. If you have legitimate reasons for wanting us to reduce your fine, speak up! If you can't pay everything all at once, let us know. Our job is to make you have happy at the library so you'll come back. And bring your children. And friends. And donations.

3. We don't get to read books all day. We all have responsibilities other than standing at the desk and waiting on you. To stay up-to-date on current books, we put them on hold and check them out and read in the evenings just like everybody else.

4. We won't shush you. All right, sometimes we will. If you are being unreasonably loud, we'll ask you to keep it down for the benefit of people around you. But more and more, public libraries are becoming community centers. We want people to come visit, so we encourage things like live music in the library once a month. If you want an ultra-quiet study room, try a university library.

5. We know a lot. What we don't know, we'll find out for you. Seriously, take advantage of your librarians! Make friends with us, give us cookies, get to know us. When you have a major paper to write and need research assistance, you can count on us.

6. Being a true librarian requires a masters degree. Yes, this is a real job. People on staff at libraries often have multiple, varied responsibilities. We help you find books, we help kids with research, we run programs, create flyers, manage book and monetary donations, keep up with social media, catalog items, repair books, prepare crafts, learn the new technology so we can teach you...we do it all. (The plan is for me to earn a masters degree in the near future, fyi.)

7. Sure we're concerned about libraries "dying out." But most of us are hopeful. After all, time and time again people have said the library wouldn't make it. Like when the internet got big, for example. But we're still here and we're making ourselves needed. More people than ever are coming to the library for job searches, eBooks, school projects, community events, story times, even just reading the newspaper. I feel passionately about what the library can do for every person in the community, and I'll talk to anyone who'll listen about it.

Well, that's all I got for now! Maybe there will be a part two in the future.

Enjoy your library.