As I have mentioned on this blog before, my library is experiencing a financial crisis. We tried to get a referendum passed and it failed. Since then we have been dealing with the fallout. Most of our patrons have been understanding. However, we have had several who have not been kind to staff members when they were informed that certain services have been or will be cut. While I can understand patron frustration, I do think we need to draw a line when that frustration manifests itself in a personal attack.

What has me on this tangent? A story my good friend Mary told me this morning. When she was working Tuesday night she helped a man locate a book he wanted. Unfortunately, it was not available at our library. It was available at a library in our system, so we would be able to get it for him in a matter of days. He thought we should buy the book for our library. Given our current financial situation Mary had to explain to him that we could not do that. His response?

If your salary was cut in half the Library could afford to buy my book.

ARGH!!!!!!! The thing that kills me about this is that this jerk said this to Mary, the sweetest person at our library. If that buttmunch wants to come in here and say that to me, fine. I'm a bitch, so I would have a scathing response designed to not get me fired to give back to him. Mary's too nice and doesn't deserve to handle crap like that.

It's just like my friend Eric says: I don't like the man, but I don't like the people either.

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