I’m a Professional

As you no doubt know, I really love my local library. The collections are excellent, the staff is generally lovely, it’s close to my house, there is plenty of parking, and it is open most of the time.

Oh, you caught how I said the staff is “generally” lovely?

Yesterday afternoon I went in to the library with two items in hand (which I’d checked out only two days before) and the alarm sounded when I walked through. These items had not set off the alarms when I checked them out, but the alarms, I’ve noticed, tend to be quite finicky, so I didn’t give it a second thought.

Except that one of the staff members was standing right there by the door.

I dropped my items into the drop slots and went to the hold shelves to pick up the three things waiting for me.

The staff member followed me over. “Some people think because it’s on hold they don’t have to check it out. You still need to check it out.”

I smiled politely, “I will. Thanks.”

Then I headed into the juvenile fiction section (Ella’s bulky carseat banging against my knee with every step) to pick up After Ever After.

He followed (of course he did): “You need to make sure every item turns green on the screen before you remove it from the scanner!”

I smiled less politely and nodded, glad to escape to the peace and quiet of the stacks.

I got my book and hobbled back to the check out desk, pulled out my card and turned around to find him hovering right beside me.

I tried really really hard not to roll my eyes.

After my books were all checked out, he said, with an air of great surprise, “You did that perfectly!”

Some days, I just want to wear a sign that says “I’m a licensed professional librarian! I can check out books all by myself. Even with a carseat in tow!”