At the Library 03/26/25

Lovely People in Every Library

by Tammy Valentine

Do you know someone special? What is it about them that makes you feel so good when you
meet them? What good deeds occur because of them on a daily basis? Let me share with you
a story.

I help manage the library’s interlibrary loans for our patrons. Patrons request books and I put it
into the system and wait for them to arrive, so I can process the items for patrons to retrieve.
That sounds so procedural, doesn’t it? A couple of weeks ago I got a phone call from a library that had sent us one of their books. When they had gotten it back and processed it they found a bookmark that had mistakenly been left inside it.

The director of the lending library called me to let me know about the bookmark and said she
would return it within our delivery system. I thanked her and when I hung up I started the
search for the patron that had borrowed the book. When I discovered who it was I was so
happy because this particular patron has a lovely sentimental streak, finding joy in small things.
She is so kind to the library staff, “grateful to us for how we spoil her.” She doesn’t understand
that SHE is what makes our job so wonderful. My email to the library director let her know how
happy my patron will be when she has the bookmark returned to her, which “made her day.”
A week or two later, I received the delivery and found this most special bookmark. I got very
excited about being able to return it to our patron, so when came in she came to the library to
pick up her books I told her there was a surprise in the package.

Her message back to me brought tears to my eyes. This particular bookmark had been made
for her by her daughter and it certainly was most special to her. “…please let her know my
appreciation. I had not realized there were beautiful people in other libraries in the state, but I
should have known.”

Lovely people are found everywhere.