Library Chronicles

In Which Sharon Relays Some Exciting Information

One of our regular patrons charges into the library.

“I found something really interesting,” Sharon says, breathless and excited. “Let’s see if either of you know!”

The either of us she’s referring to is myself and my children’s librarian. It’s a slow Wednesday evening, about twenty minutes from close. Snow is just starting to fall outside.

I drop everything I’m doing, of course, because that’s what one does when Sharon is about to lay some facts down.

“What have you learned!” I exclaim. No point in it being a question since we’re going to hear all about it either way.

She begins. “Well, I was just over at the post office waiting in line, reading an obituary of someone whose name started with ‘The honorable’ and I assumed he was a lawyer or a judge.” She pauses, a true storyteller this one. “ Well, he’s not!”

To be fair, I also assumed anyone with honorable in the title must be related to the law profession.

“Here’s the obit,” she says, and begins to read. We’re in this for the long haul. The deceased in question was never a lawyer or judge, though he did spend thirty years with the post office. It turns out, Sharon tells us, that postal employees can use honorable in their title because they take an oath of office. “Bet you didn’t know that!”

She stands triumphant. It’s true. I did not.

Make way for the honorable mail carrier of lore. (Getty Images)

I suggest that she come in each week with a bit of info on this or that to try and stump us and she seems up to the challenge. Sharon never checks out books, but she is one of the highest, consistent users in our library. She comes for conversation. To check on us and our families. To use the copy machine and email. She’s the Norm of our library.

She comes because your local library should be a place where you feel at home.

After she leaves, I do a bit of my own poking around, and it’s difficult to nail down exactly if her postal tid-bit is correct. According to federal government protocols, honorable IS a courtesy title given to primarily high ranking federal officials, the country’s post master general for example. And local officials can use the title as well, based on local tradition. But I’m still unclear if the title is related to the oath postal workers must take, the one about defending the Constitution. More research is needed.

For now, I’m going to side with Sharon. Maybe librarians need an oath of office as well. We’re honorable. Until then I’m going to call her visits Sharing Sharon. I can’t wait till next week!