I was at a library in Cincinnati last month and a patron's question completely changed how I handle open-ended requests.

They asked 'What's the best way to learn about ancient Rome?' and I realized my usual list of book titles wasn't helping because I didn't ask if they wanted a deep history, military tactics, or daily life... so now I always ask 'What part of that are you most curious about?' first.

3 comments

3 Comments

john6482mo ago

I mean it's just a library question, not a therapy session. People ask for book suggestions, you give them a couple standard titles. If they want more detail they'll usually ask a follow up. Feels like making a simple thing way too complicated, like when coffee shops need your life story just to make a latte.

troy_murray81mo ago

Three times last week I watched someone at the info desk spend ten minutes asking a guy what he liked to read before just handing him "The Da Vinci Code" anyway. @aaronowens hit it pretty well, it's not like we're diagnosing anyone's life problems here. If someone asks for a good mystery novel you can toss out "Gone Girl" or "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and call it a day. The whole "let me interview you about your favorite authors from the 1980s" routine just wastes everyone's time. Half the time people walk away with the first book you said anyway.

aaronowens2mo ago

Is this really a big deal? People ask vague questions all the time. You just give a basic answer and move on. Sounds like you're overthinking a simple library interaction.