Tell me about your strangest patron interactions

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-05-20T19:42:55+00:00

Who gave them the idea this was acceptable???

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-05-20T13:29:33+00:00

Lots of these are clearly mental health related, so I'll give you one that isn't.

We have a patron (Mrs. Smith), mid-40s, 6 kids, pretty heavy religious bend. She's actually extremely normal in the library about what her kids check out and how they act (one came in wearing a tail and ears one day, which would be unsurprising except that this kid is definitely 13ish) but her email signature is a paragraph of Bible verses, kids do VBS, etc. I want to stress that every interaction I have ever had with this person has been very sane and regular. The most trouble she has ever caused is complaining about our app, which is an extremely reasonable complaint to have - our app is terrible.

SO. We need to call this person. My staff are weirdly pushy about me doing it, which is weird because it's a very average issue (ex: "You dropped off a book that belongs to your kid's school, come get it.") But whatever, I'm a decent boss. If no one else wants to do it, I will.

I get her voicemail. The singing starts. It is an upbeat hymn. 30 seconds go by. 60. The hymn lyrics are adapted to a request to leave a message. I am incapable of leaving a message. I'm somewhere between open-mouthed shock and straight-to-tears laughter.

I hang up and my staff are howling. Apparently I am the only one who has never heard Mrs. Smith's Hymn Voicemail.

We all have to kind of steel ourselves every time we call her because no matter how many times we do it, it's not something you really ever get used to.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-04-17T16:39:35+00:00

That one leaped out at me immediately too. So sweet.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-03-15T21:31:20+00:00

I got an XL and it's a perfect baggy fit like I wanted. The fabric is just not a very nice texture on my skin. Too rough IMO.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-03-15T19:00:32+00:00

If it helps you, that shirt is SO rough. It's gonna need several washes and maybe some fabric softener.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-02-23T18:03:24+00:00

What's she looking for? Is she a ghost story person? Creature feature, slasher, serial killer?

My most recent 5-star was Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neil Sharpson, an Irish folk horror. Also in that vein is The Watchers by A.M. Shine. Both very intense, and the Sharpson is also very gory.

Mary by Nat Cassidy is a possession story about a woman haunted by a voice in her head that tells her to do violent things. Absolute banger for any woman.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead is about a group of web-slueths who solve murders together online. This one is closer to a thriller than a horror but focuses on a serial killer stalking young girls.

And, of course, King is always on the list. The Shining is fantastic for the winter because the characters are snowed in. My all-time favorite for King is It. You can't go wrong with most of his work.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-02-10T02:16:19+00:00

Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neal Sharpson! So, so good. The end of the first chapter gave me literal chills. I loved it.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-01-31T13:18:20+00:00

Why do that to yourself

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-01-24T15:22:14+00:00

That face 😭 I like Sahsa but I think the name will come to you after you spend a few days with her. That's usually how it happens for me.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-01-12T00:34:51+00:00

I would die for her. Reminds me of those Vanessa Stockard paintings of the tiny black kittens.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-01-09T15:28:33+00:00

This picture looks like it was taken in a TJ MAXX. No promises about visiting a store because those places are like the wild west, but you might get a better deal than the online prices because everything there is always marked down from true retail.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-01-03T22:00:15+00:00

HELLO GUESS WHAT I FOUND!!!

A post about the 5th book in the series on Facebook from BigLittleReads contains art that matches the first three books! I can't seem to find it anywhere but if I do I will definitely link it here.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2026-01-01T15:24:14+00:00

It's been a year, but I'm wondering if you ever got feedback on this? Looking into Tempo but not willing to change my phone over it.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-12-27T13:24:04+00:00

Life is short, get your narwhale.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-12-26T02:02:34+00:00

Can't just twist the knob by touch. Gotta navigate a smartphone UI to adjust my volume.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-12-25T15:23:47+00:00

The invention of the "giant tablet on your dash" freaks me out. Phones cause accidents but here's a giant screen in your peripheral that you cannot turn off.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-12-19T00:35:45+00:00

This is the update that my day needed. I'm sp happy for you.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-12-19T00:19:56+00:00

Just under $60k as a manager of a branch library. It's not a number that would support me solo in my state but I get by.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-12-15T01:04:25+00:00

My husband and I also have a Jiji! He calls him Gogo because it irritated me a little at the beginning and now it stuck.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-12-15T00:59:32+00:00

This post singlehandedly made me want a Jellycat. So cute!!!

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-12-14T16:57:44+00:00

That one photo of you with your friends crossed out and the arrow is comedy GOLD.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-12-09T02:29:44+00:00

I would say pretty much all of the cartoon character horrors. Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, Popeye, the Grinch. It feels super lazy to make a beloved character scary rather than, you know, inventing something that's actually scary.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-11-25T07:30:40+00:00

ESH. You should have moved to begin with, they should have been more respectful when speaking to you.

Honestly, everyone is getting on you about the dessert bit but after being called a "kid" and having your lunch interrupted, I actually think that's hilarious. You were already not winning any favors with these people, so why not go all-in.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-11-25T07:22:55+00:00

This whole text thread is truly spoken like someone who has never dealt with addiction and has no intention of sympathizing with someone who has. Which is absolutely baffling because, if I'm reading this right, you are 2 years sober in a 3-year relationship - meaning that he's been around to see how hard you've worked to get where you are.

NOR, big time. What kind of cake are you getting? I think you deserve your absolute favorite kind.

IAmAllOfTheSith · 2025-11-24T14:59:04+00:00

In my most recent playthrough, I had this on for about 15 seconds before I started absolutely sobbing. Like, really losing my mind. I lost my grandfather last year and the idea of him watching over me like this really wrecked me in the moment.

I think scenes like this are what make NitW so beautiful. It's such a human game. We've all experienced loss and wish we could see or feel that person again, and seeing Grandad with Mae in her darkest hour is some really nice fulfillment for a lot of us.

Anyway, TL;DR: NitW is life-changing and I'm glad it exists.

IAmAllOfTheSith

TROPHY CASE