Is It Worth It?

          I had a gentleman come in to the library last night who is a student at another university across town. Since this school is part of our consortium, he has borrowing privileges at our library. Of course the book he was looking for was not located in our building, but in the curriculum lab located elsewhere on campus. This lab is undergoing a renovation, so I knew firsthand that things were in a state of disarray, but I really wanted to help this guy. The lab was closed for the evening, so I offered to go over first thing this morning and search for the book. I knew it was going to be like searching for a needle in a haystack, but I wanted to give it my best shot. I took down his phone number and told him I would call him with either good news or bad news.
     I made my way over to the lab and was met with the noxious odor of newly laid carpet. (Is it the glue they use that smells so awful?) Anyway, I thought to myself, "This is not worth it-I'm going to be sick if I have to stay here very long searching for this book.!" The books are stacked on tables, the floor, pretty much anywhere there is an available surface, and they are not in call number order. I pored over several stacks, and I would get excited when I saw a call number similar to the one I was looking for, only to hit a dead end. I was close to giving up hope when I stepped across some stacks on the floor to get to a stack I hadn't looked through yet, when there it was-the needle in the haystack! I was so excited! I briskly walked back to the library, called the young man with the good tidings, and hung up the phone a very satisfied librarian.
     I know this is not earth-shattering news or even very enjoyable reading, but it's about what we as librarians do. We go above and beyond to provide the best possible experience for those we serve. In my very humble opinion,these types of transactions go a long way towards solidifying the library's place in society. And the answer to the question, is "Yes, it's worth it."