In gratitude

(An open letter to the reference librarian at the University of Michigan-Flint.)

Dear Reference Librarian:

Please accept my sincere gratitude for your endless patience and unwavering dedication to the pursuit of reference materials.

I am in awe of your knowledge of the proper way to request a copy of an article from a journal that doesn't exist at our library. It worked far better than my method of throwing my hands up in the air and shouting "Why doesn't this stupid library own anything???"

And thank you for saving me from printing (and paying for) 384 pages of a dissertation called Tooters and Tutors. The 'email this' button will allow me to read first and print second (an axiom that might make a good reference librarian t-shirt slogan, don't you think?).

I appreciate the reminder that I shouldn't forget my library card/copy card in the copy machine. You're right, it did take me a week to obtain and it absolutely would be a shame to lose it on the first day.

Oh, and I didn't forget that you were the one who caught the fact that I had requested my seven books be sent to the Ann Arbor campus instead of ours. Good catch, Mr. Librarian!

So, thanks again and next week I will try to use my "library voice" when shouting at the computer/card catalog/New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition.

Sincerely,

Jessica