I am a librarian. Most of you think of librarians as book, and perhaps video and CD, dispensers, but I also dispense many other things:
- Highlighters
- Scotch Tape
- Post-it Notes
- Paper Clips
- Pens
- Pencils
- White-out
- Glue
- Scissors
- Change for $1.00 for laundry
I don't know why I find it so amusing that students ask me for these things. Perhaps because when one shows up at the library with a huge poster board, you'd think that person would also bring stuff with which to stick things onto said poster board. And other items with which to cut out pictures for the poster board. Etc.
But I loan these things out. I have yet to have something not returned (well, minus the items that would naturally not be returned). If, some day, we become known as the cheap way to get as many paper clips as you could possibly need, then I might re-evaluate. But for now, I'll dispense away.
5 comments:
The most interesting request by a library user at our reference desk:
"Do you have any salt?"
(It wasn't asked of me, but nonetheless, it's a personal favorite!)
- SBCB
Wow, someone asked for salt? I am not sure I could respond to that request without making a face - either of utter bewilderment or of holding in laughter.
I get asked for office supply type stuff all the time, too. In fact, just today a high school student asked for graph paper, which we didn't have. But a quick trip to http://www.printfreegraphpaper.com and I was able to print some out for her.
The other type of questions I get are "does the library have a public fax/scanner/color copier...?" Unfortunately, we have none of these. If I ever stop working in libraries, I think I'm going to open a chain of office supply stores with all these office tools and locate them right next door to libraries.
I've actually gotten asked for graph paper, too. We have some in our drawer though. But if it runs out, now I know I can find it online and have them print it out.
I get all those other questions too. We do have scanners, but no fax or color copier. They also ask for paper cutters, which we don't have either.
The paper cutter question always horrifies me. I known of a few too many artists that have lost some digits to those things. So, yeah, let's put one out in a public place where anyone can use it!
Jill claims that one time a student walked up to our former reference librarian, Irma, and took the pencil right out of her hand!
Post a Comment