I wrote in a previous post that librarians judge patrons on the books they read and talk about them behind their backs. Also, I have posted a few patron stories of my own about silly things that have happened to me, mostly in the children's library. That article really made me nervous, so for my own peace of mind I want to put down some thoughts.
First: judging patrons by what they read. I think that "judging" may be the wrong word. Rather, I can learn a lot about people by what they borrow from the library. Some people are just into reading bestsellers while others read all the James Patterson they can get their hands on. (Side note: James Patterson is a machine. Every other day there is a new one.) Some patrons are into high literature while others just read fluff. There is a psychology experiment in there somewhere just waiting to be analyzed.
Second: talking about patrons behind their backs. I think in every job, especially where one serves the public, there is behind-the-back mumbling. It is the way of the world. In libraries, know that we talk about the good patrons as well as the difficult ones. And also, pay your fines. It would make us a lot less grumbly.
Third: blogging about patrons. I find this to be a rather harmless activity (although I am clearly spooked by what happened to that Michigan lady). I am not looking to make money from my blog, I am sharing experiences that I found amusing. It is kind of like those TV specials about "The World's Dumbest Criminals," except there is (usually) no crime involved, just silliness. Also, my blog isn't just about library patrons. It is about books and art and library school and reading and all sorts of book-related stuff.
Ok, so I've said my bit. What do you think? Am I wrong to discuss my work experiences in this way?
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