Just a warning - this was posted on a “sex blog,” but it’s still worth a read.
It has a nice picture, too, and I think “A library isn’t a petting zoo” should be on a t-shirt.
So, I’m making my rounds just before we close last night, and what do I find? A condom and wrapper. Hooray.
I know it’s a fetish of sorts, and I’ve heard of libraries having trouble with patron fornication. Even another library I worked in had incidents (before I was there). But this is the first time I’ve come face to face with it, so to speak.
I talked to some of the other staff about it today, and we all agreed that yes, the place where the condom was found is a very secluded, blind corner, and yes, we need to address this. One of the other librarians asked if I could show her exactly where I found it, and when I took her back there - guess what we found? Another condom.
Luckily, thankfully, although both were opened, neither were used (although we didn’t look too close). It could possibly be just kids getting excited about playing with something taboo, even if they’re not using them for their intended purpose.
But it’s pretty clear this is completely inappropriate library behavior, and so we’re looking into how to stop it. Here’s what we’ve come up with so far:
I think the final solution will be a combination of a few of these. Definitely #3, probably #5, and maybe either #1 or #6. Sigh. Never a dull moment.
(And don’t even get me started on oversize books in general - they seem to be problematic in every public library)
Hiya. My name is Brian Herzog, and I am, among other things, a reference librarian at a public library in MA, USA. more about me...
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love
is great
to do
or feel
but damn
i’m tired
of hearing
about it
- Cole (from a high school student poetry publication)
