my first library patron

Upstairs in the cafe, I just ran into my first ever library patron from my first day on the job here at TSCPL almost 8 years ago. I have been priveleged to help this same gentleman several times over the years, and we have both remembered that he was the first customer I helped on that very first day here. (He was an audiobook listener at the time, but has since retired.)

Librarianship is a funny business. We protect people's privacy, their right to read, their individual choices, their reading history, but we also connect with them, learn about their preferences, their personalities, their histories.

I treasure the interactions I share with my customers. While libraries are often thought of as being about all about the stuff you can get, the human connection is still what makes us different from a free pile of books and movies.

And yes, I know this is completely nerdy. But someday when I am less enamored with my job, I'll re-read this and remember that patron, and feel better about the time I have spent here.