(I work at a small library that is located just down the street from the post office. My supervisor and I are the only ones working the front desk when a patron comes in. I get up to help her.)

Me: “Hi. Can I help you?”

Patron: “Yes, I need to change my address.”

(I can tell that English is not her first language. She does have a thick accent, but I can understand her well enough. I assume she just wants to change her address on her card account.)

Me: “Okay, you need to change your address? I will just have to see your library card or a photo ID to look up your account.”

(She hands me her ID and I look up her account, but I find out she does not have a library card with us.)

Me: “It does not look like you have a library card with us; are you a part of [Other Library down the road]?”

Patron: “No, I do not have a library card. I was just needing to change my address.”

(I’m now very confused, so I ask a couple of other questions that might apply to the situation.)

Me: “Well, then, were you needing to sign up for a library card?”

Patron: “No! I just need to change my address!”

(I am even more confused now, trying to figure out what she needs. I can tell that she is getting frustrated with the whole situation, as well. There is no librarian around and my supervisor is helping another patron.)

Patron: “Isn’t this the post office?”

Me: “No. This is the library.”

Patron: “Well, that is all I asked.” *walks away*

(I don’t know what just happened, so I look at my supervisor who heard the whole thing.)

Supervisor: “Yeah, I wasn’t sure what she needed, either. You seem to have things handled, though, so I didn’t want to intervene.”

Me: “Yeah, she never mentioned anything about a post office, but clearly we are one with all the books and the sign outside that says, ‘Library.’”

(I work in a bookstore.)

Customer: “You sure have a lot of books in here!”

Me: “Yes, I was thinking about selling some.”

The library has a light therapy lamp for winter blues. On this day, I’d been specifically planning to use the lamp, and I’d been having a bit of a bad day, so it was pretty important to me. Usually, no one is using it, but when I got there, there were people sitting in both of the seats. I waited ten or fifteen minutes and then asked them how long they planned to use the lamp; there’s a sign on the lamp asking patrons to limit their use if there are people waiting to use it.

They said they were going to be there a while. I told them I was hoping to use the light therapy lamp for a little bit; they muttered a few things, and while I didn’t catch the exact words, the general gist was that they weren’t moving.

I wasn’t assertive enough to press the issue or show my displeasure, but I was pretty upset, since they’d clearly been there for a while before I even got there, and I suspected they weren’t even using the lamp for light therapy. I was also angry at myself, for not being assertive both in that situation and in general.

I wanted to ask a librarian for help, but I was too nervous to, both because I didn’t want to be “that person” and because I was afraid the two patrons would overhear and get mad at me. But a few minutes later, one of the librarians, who had apparently noticed the situation, came up to me and offered to move the lamp to where I was. Presumably, those two patrons didn’t actually need it; I suppose they were only attached to the seats.

I was really surprised and really grateful to her for doing that. She helped make my bad day a lot better, especially since using the lamp was the last thing I planned to do before I went home. She also would have had to approach those two patrons to ask if they were all right with her taking the lamp, which came with a risk of them getting mad at her. And she did that on her own initiative, without being asked at all.

I’ve always liked the librarians here, but this is really going to stand out for me.

(I’m at college. I go to purchase a lab manual.)

Clerk: “Sorry, you don’t have a valid student ID. Go to the library and get a new one.”

(I’ve been using this ID for three years, but whatever.)

Librarian: “You need paperwork from the business office to get a renewed ID.”

(I go to the business office.)

Clerk: “You need to pay off your debts before I can do anything for you.”

Me: “Yeah, okay. I’ve been meaning to do that, anyway.”

(It’s only the first week of school. I pull up my student account; I owe $240.)

Clerk: “That’ll be $430.”

Me: “What? No, see?”

(I show her my account.)

Clerk: “It’s actually $430.”

Me: “Why?”

Clerk: “It’s $430.”

Me: “Why?”

Clerk: “Fees.”

Me: “Why is it $230 on my account but $430 here?”

Clerk: *shrugs*

Me: “…”

Clerk: “…”

Me: “I don’t know what you want me to do.”

Clerk: “Pay?”

Me: “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be paying.”

Clerk: “$430!”

Me: “Why?!”

Clerk: “THAT’S HOW MUCH IT COSTS!”

Me: “WHY?!”

Clerk: “Do you want a manager?”

Me: “Yes, please!”

(I never do this. I’m usually a pushover for workers, but this is two hundred dollars that I’d be paying “just because.”)

Manager: *on speaker phone* “What’s the problem?”

Me: “My account on my phone says my classes cost $230, but her computer says $430.”

Manager: “It’s $430.”

Me: “Why? I don’t understand why it’s $200 more.”

Manager: “Don’t worry; I’ll fix it. Give me a moment.”

Me: *finally relieved*

Manager: “Refresh the page.”

(I refresh my page. It’s now $430.)

Me: “…”

Clerk: “You can pay with a payment plan which will, in total, cost more, but it’ll be much easier.”

Me: *giving up* “I’d rather pay it all off right now.”

Clerk: “Okay! Here’s some paperwork for that.” *immediately flips to the last page and points where I should sign*

(I am an incredibly paranoid person. I read the terms and agreements. I’m that b****.)

Me: “This is the paperwork for the payment plan.”

Clerk: “…”

Me: “I’m paying it all, right now. And I want a receipt.”

Clerk: *rolls her eyes, gets me the right paperwork, and gives me a receipt*

(I am working circulation at the library when a student comes up to me. This student is in an upper grade, and reading at grade level, so I’m confident he knows how libraries should work.)

Student: “I’d like to return my library books.”

Me: “Okay, you can put them in the return bin, use the self-check station, or bring them to me since I’m not busy.”

Student: “I don’t have them.”

Me: “Well, go back to class and get them.”

Student: “I don’t know where they are.”

Me: “I can’t check them in if you don’t have them.”

Student: “But I’m finished, and would like to check out more.”

Me: *pulling up his account* “You have four out right now, and two are overdue, so I can’t let you check out any more books.”

Student: “But I want to check my books in.”

Me: “You have to actually give me the books so I can scan them in.”

Student: *gives me a confused look*

Me: “Bring your books back and then I can help you.”

(I haven’t seen him in the library for the rest of the week.)

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Maybe The Library Has Books About What Libraries Are