Although I’m working in RPL’s Outreach Unit, I occasionally go out to help on the Reference Desk, especially since they’re short-staffed right now, because of both summer holidays and some vacancies.
I was out to cover a lunch break today and in one short hour, I got a fairly representative sample of questions you get at a public library reference desk…
- Books on studying for the MCAT
- Help someone scan and e-mail their immigration documents
- Tell kids to not play on the escalator (Public Library Rule #47: “All kids will play on the escalator”)
- Guest pass so someone can go on the Internet
- Directions to washrooms
- Information on drain flies and how to get rid of them
- Help someone printing their resume
- Another guest pass
- Request for Newspaper classifieds (the local paper is on display but we keep the job section at the Reference Desk as it often goes missing when left public)
- Somewhat fittingly given where I normally spend most of my day, directed a visually impaired patron to Outreach for a computer that would better suit their needs