::cringe:: or, Why I am No Longer A Librarian

::giggle::

My worst blunder as a librarian came when I was talking to a *very* nervous 6-7-year-old at the reference desk. He was one foot to another, wringing his hands, no parent in sight. So I put on a gentle smile and asked him, "How may I help you?"

He said, softly, "Ineedabookaboutthepenis."

A little unprepared for *that* request, I gently asked him to repeat himself.

He said, a little more urgently, "INEEDABOOKABOUTTHEPENIS."

Here's where I went wrong. I didn't ask him to clarify the point. I just assumed he was looking for a full color, age-appropriate spread of the male organ.

So, I took him over to children's and pulled a LOVELY, very age-appropriate book, with a nice big picture of the penis. I opened it and started to hand it to him.

He visibly recoiled and said - very plainly this time - "EW! NO! I NEED A BOOK ABOUT THE PEANUTS! THE CARTOON!"

I am *so* glad I am not paying his therapy bills. ::chuckle::

Comments

[jacqueline]

Oh, I had to send that on to my librarian friends. That is just so funny!

[h sofia]

yikes! lol