Everyone who works in a public library has those special patrons. They may not know those patrons’ names or where they come from, but they certainly have nicknames for those patrons. The place I used to work featured a rotating sideshow brought to you by The Belcher, Flash, Drunk Dudes Numbers One and Two, Princess Littleflower, and on and on. All of them regularly displayed behaviour one would normally label as “bizarre,” but only if you didn’t work in a public library
And we’ve all said something along the lines of “I’d write a book about this stuff, but no one would believe it.”
Turns out, an Anaheim Librarian is going to try and publish such a book anyway. I have a feeling that, even if this doesn’t become a national bestseller, you’ll find it sitting on a lot of librarian’s personal bookshelves.
Further Weirdness
Virgin Publishing is releasing another Southern California library employee's take on the inside of our strange world. Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert is coming out on November 13, 2007. As a former colleague of Don's who has read the book, I think it will be something we can all relate to!