A short review of a short book.
"I work a public library..." I do! And that's how nearly every review on Goodreads starts! This book definitely has it's niche audience. My public library happens to be a pretty unique situation, but I've worked at a standard public library in the past and I "recognized" nearly all the patrons in the book. Sure, my library was in a different state with different names and identities, but the people are the same. There are lots and lots of people who use public libraries every day with little interaction with the staff, or interact on a normal, sane level with the staff. But there are "special patrons" at every library. The ones who call every day to find out the date and time and their horoscope. The ones who have a certain eau de parfum about them. The ones who camp in the back corner. Yup. They're all in this little tome. I literally laughed out loud while reading it, but I'm not sure a non-library employee would.
Something that makes this book unique is that the author spins it all positively. Yes, we get to have a good chuckle at the antics of the special patrons, but she protects their identities and then turns around and makes it very clear that these people are why libraries are important and why we (library employees) exist. She articulates very well how fulfilling it is to serve the public every day. And I get that. I love my job so much. It's not always easy, but I love the unpredictability and I truly think that most public library patrons really do have good hearts and just sometimes need some answers.
*I checked out my copy of I Work at a Public Library from my local library.
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