This list of attributes was started by Scarlett Fisher-Herreman, Consumer Health Librarian
Librarian Extraordinaire, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, who says "My Superpower is Information." Response to this began "My gosh! What a contrast!"
...people routinely ask you the hours for the Burger King one block from the library.
...kids arrive by skateboard.
...the bike rack is completely full every summer afternoon.
...you move heaven and earth to get a book delivered at the last minute to a departing Bookmobile so the patron can pick it up and not drive all the way across town to the main library.
...you have panic buttons installed at every service desk just in case of an emergency.
...your bookdrops occasionally get graffitied by urban street artists.
...you have real cops with real guns on your Security staff.
...you have microbursts of crazy people converging at the service desks at least once or twice each day.
...you recognize library patrons at every bus stop in the city.
...you know homeless people by name and what they like to do at the library.
...someone comes to the desk looking for someone with "crazy hair and a lot of tattoos" and you realize that could describe any number of people currently in the library.
...you have an urban fiction collection.
...you are hailed as "Librarian sista!"
More from other urban librarians:
...you think nothing of developing special collections, such as a Job Resource Center, a Spanish Collection, or a Parenting Collection, to assist your patrons. Some of these collections may have nearly as many materials in them as some of the smaller libraries have in their entire library.
...you help a patron with an intricate college research paper. He comes back to tell you "WE got an A!"
...a patron who is away at college calls with a reference question; you find the answer and direct him to the online database that will help him complete his paper -- all without ever seeing him in person.
...your Tech. Department keeps a note posted by the delivery door telling how the reach the 4 addresses most commonly confused with your address, so they can re-direct delivery men.
...you Tech. Department receives a damaged book with a bullet hole in it. (It was on the back shelf of the car when someone drove-by and shot at the occupant.)
...you grew up where it was nothing to drive 30 miles to the grocery store, but your patrons complain it is too far to drive the six miles from their branch library to the main library.
...patrons compliment you on the friendliness and helpfulness of your staff and confide they prefer using your library over the one for their own town (10 minutes away.)
... you have patrons who have been shot, died of overdoses, given birth or conceived children, all in your library.
... you have kids who virtually live in your library because it is one of the few safe places to go, and even safer than home.
... there are at least three very poor and neglected children that you would steal away with if nobody could find out.
...your Senior Circulation Aide "accidentally" runs over a lecherous old man with her book truck. He had lain down on the floor to try to see up women's skirts when they climb steel stairs to your upper stacks. (This took place when women didn't wear pants as often as they do now.)
...you visit a smaller library, and look around for ethnic faces. Where are the East Indians, Tongans, Samoans, Somalians, Vietnamese, Hmong, Mexicans, Cubans, blacks, Native Americans and other nationalities that make your library interesting?
...you have to call the police because a 3 year old was left behind at closing. His father brought him to the library and left, forgetting the boy was with him. The hardest part is getting the boy to name his parents because you don't speak his language.
...you compare notes with area librarians and find out your top ten problem patrons are also their top ten problem patrons.
...when you're followed around in the Library by two teenagers who are probably gang members, and when you ask them where they're from and it's a school across town, you know they are, and they're here because they thought your library was part of the high school next door. So you know they want to cause trouble. When you offer them hot coffee (because it's freezing outside), they lighten up and talk. Soon you tell them they have to go to the main office if they're interested in classes. You contact security who contacts the police in the high school next door. And they're gone.
-Rita from Kansas
...when the students' life histories contain "time", parole officers, case workers, living in their cars, and lots of hard-luck problems, but they're still positive and willing to make a new start. And they love coming to the library to see the "Library ladies" and we love seeing them.
-- Rita from Kansas
...one of your favorite patrons confides he forgot his meds today so he may be getting a little strange.
Librarian Extraordinaire, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, who says "My Superpower is Information." Response to this began "My gosh! What a contrast!"
...people routinely ask you the hours for the Burger King one block from the library.
...kids arrive by skateboard.
...the bike rack is completely full every summer afternoon.
...you move heaven and earth to get a book delivered at the last minute to a departing Bookmobile so the patron can pick it up and not drive all the way across town to the main library.
...you have panic buttons installed at every service desk just in case of an emergency.
...your bookdrops occasionally get graffitied by urban street artists.
...you have real cops with real guns on your Security staff.
...you have microbursts of crazy people converging at the service desks at least once or twice each day.
...you recognize library patrons at every bus stop in the city.
...you know homeless people by name and what they like to do at the library.
...someone comes to the desk looking for someone with "crazy hair and a lot of tattoos" and you realize that could describe any number of people currently in the library.
...you have an urban fiction collection.
...you are hailed as "Librarian sista!"
More from other urban librarians:
...you think nothing of developing special collections, such as a Job Resource Center, a Spanish Collection, or a Parenting Collection, to assist your patrons. Some of these collections may have nearly as many materials in them as some of the smaller libraries have in their entire library.
...you help a patron with an intricate college research paper. He comes back to tell you "WE got an A!"
...a patron who is away at college calls with a reference question; you find the answer and direct him to the online database that will help him complete his paper -- all without ever seeing him in person.
...your Tech. Department keeps a note posted by the delivery door telling how the reach the 4 addresses most commonly confused with your address, so they can re-direct delivery men.
...you Tech. Department receives a damaged book with a bullet hole in it. (It was on the back shelf of the car when someone drove-by and shot at the occupant.)
...you grew up where it was nothing to drive 30 miles to the grocery store, but your patrons complain it is too far to drive the six miles from their branch library to the main library.
...patrons compliment you on the friendliness and helpfulness of your staff and confide they prefer using your library over the one for their own town (10 minutes away.)
... you have patrons who have been shot, died of overdoses, given birth or conceived children, all in your library.
... you have kids who virtually live in your library because it is one of the few safe places to go, and even safer than home.
... there are at least three very poor and neglected children that you would steal away with if nobody could find out.
...your Senior Circulation Aide "accidentally" runs over a lecherous old man with her book truck. He had lain down on the floor to try to see up women's skirts when they climb steel stairs to your upper stacks. (This took place when women didn't wear pants as often as they do now.)
...you visit a smaller library, and look around for ethnic faces. Where are the East Indians, Tongans, Samoans, Somalians, Vietnamese, Hmong, Mexicans, Cubans, blacks, Native Americans and other nationalities that make your library interesting?
...you have to call the police because a 3 year old was left behind at closing. His father brought him to the library and left, forgetting the boy was with him. The hardest part is getting the boy to name his parents because you don't speak his language.
...you compare notes with area librarians and find out your top ten problem patrons are also their top ten problem patrons.
...when you're followed around in the Library by two teenagers who are probably gang members, and when you ask them where they're from and it's a school across town, you know they are, and they're here because they thought your library was part of the high school next door. So you know they want to cause trouble. When you offer them hot coffee (because it's freezing outside), they lighten up and talk. Soon you tell them they have to go to the main office if they're interested in classes. You contact security who contacts the police in the high school next door. And they're gone.
-Rita from Kansas
...when the students' life histories contain "time", parole officers, case workers, living in their cars, and lots of hard-luck problems, but they're still positive and willing to make a new start. And they love coming to the library to see the "Library ladies" and we love seeing them.
-- Rita from Kansas
...one of your favorite patrons confides he forgot his meds today so he may be getting a little strange.
...And you still love the place.
