Our Tiny Patrons

Another Day, Another Little Person Library Visit

“Hi.”

I turn to discover a little person in my office. She’s maybe five, long curly hair, wide eyed.

“Well hello!” I say.

My office sits right at the junction of our circulation desk and the long hallway that leads to the bathroom. You literally can’t get anywhere in our library without walking past my office. And if the door is open, I’m right there. I like it that way because every so often a little person will walk right in.

I notice that her mom or guardian is standing not far away, maybe waiting for a sibling at the desk or in the bathroom.

“I like this library,” she says.

Now she has my full attention. I swivel my chair toward her.

“That’s so funny you say that,” I say. “Because I like this library too. In fact, it’s one of my favorite places in the whole world!”

She smiles and says, “It looks like a house.”

“Do you know why it looks like a house?” I ask.

She shakes her head.

“Because,” I whisper to her, like it’s a secret, “it used to be a house!”

“Oh such a smart guess!” her mom says.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“Dylan.”

“That’s also the name of a famous musician and one of my favorite singers in the whole world.” Her mom smiles at that.

By now, her brother and sister have gathered behind her. I tell them the quick story of the library, why it used to be a house, why it still looks like that.

“It’s very comfortable in here,” Dylan’s mom says. I can’t imagine a nicer compliment.

“Tell you what,” I say, “do any of you like Star Wars?”

They all nod, though Dylan probably doesn’t exactly know what that is yet. I keep a package of Star Wars stickers in my desk.

“Here, you each can have two,” I say. I whisper again to Dylan, “You can have three!”

The kids sort through them. Their mom gets things ready for them to leave.

“So Dylan, you’ll come back and visit me, won’t you?”

“I like it here,” she says.

“I’m so glad,” I say. “We’ll be here waiting for you when you come back.”

And they’re gone, and my office doorway is empty again. I look down at my sticker bag. They each definitely took more than three.