The Glory of a Good Librarian

I’ve been quiet because my MFA classes started this weekend; between work and school, readings and written homework, blogging was just not approachable. But yesterday afternoon I had a wonderful Librarian Experience I wanted to share, so I’m squeezing this in before class, while I wait for the student cafe to open so I can raise my caffeine level.

I went to the Gleeson Library (University of San Francisco) to get access to remote databases enabled and get a quick peek at the library. A young man at the circ desk greeted me as I walked in and explained that I could stop swiping my card at the gate, as that did nothing, and said in the nicest way, “oh, everyone does that–I’m sorry.” (Librarian, or library worker? I don’t care, and neither should you; the service quality was definitely professional.) He was welcoming, and set aside his work, anticipating my questions. I asked him about library services, and within seconds he had me logged in and had my database password enabled.

I was assuming that was it, but with a gleam in his eye he continued talking. I was his quarry! He walked me through the databases, explained about the Journal Finder, gave me a brief intro to the Ignacio, the USF catalog, and encouraged me to use the library’s reference services. He concluded with a explanation of the fastest and cheapest methods for getting books the library didn’t have (primarily through Link +, a union catalog he introduced to me in clear, jargon-free language).

I don’t post my bad library experiences on this blog (and sadly, they are legion), but it’s o.k. to talk out of school when the teacher has been so utterly marvelous. My anonymous, t-shirted young man did much more than help me learn the library’s services; he made me feel proud to be a librarian and much less anxious about the state of the profession. (And of course, now I can roam all those cool databases…)

We shouldn’t force people into interactions with library staff if it’s not warranted, but with less and less contact between users and library workers, every interaction we have with a representative of a library should be of this caliber. You only get one chance to make a first impression.