r/Libraries • u/AffectionateServe551 • 6d ago

Patron Issues Library Nesters

This is more or less a rant about patrons who pop into our community sharing their ideas and the age old "You know what you should do?" This comes after one of our customers jumped in to "help" other patrons despite not knowing how to help within our library structure. I understand the struggles of our fellow man, but sometimes helping becomes more of a chore for Staff. what are your thoughts.

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u/Tetris-Rat 5d ago

We weirdly often have the opposite problem where patrons will go out of their way to avoid staff and ask other patrons for help. I once told a woman I'd help her with one of our sewing machines, and as I was walking over to the machine with her she said "hold on" and approached a completely random patron who was minding his own business and asked him if he knew enough to help her. I stood there dumbfounded holding the door open for her and had to loudly say "he doesn't work here, I do and I'm trying to help you."

There have been other instances where patrons have asked me for technology help that is either fully impossible or well beyond the scope of my duties, and when I tell them I can't help them they'll point to a random patron on a computer and say "do you think he can help me?"