"There is No Such thing as Patron - Circ Desk Confidentiality."
I don't know what it is about the circ desk, but it seems like patrons seem to frequently throw the general sense of self disclosure out the window. It's quite similar to someone telling their whole life story to a bartender at the bar.
Tonight I was part of one of the most awkward discussions I have had at the circ desk.
A mother came up to me at the circ desk and told me that her two children had been out of the country for the past year and that they needed new cards. Sure thing, easy transaction.
When I was looking up her children's accounts by searching with her last name, she saw the PC screen and said to her children, "Wow there are a lot of people with our last name, I mean, my ex-husband's last name." Her son looked up at her and asked, "You and dad got a divorce???" She quickly changed the subject by having him sign his name on his new card. I tried not to react at all, but I may have winced when he asked.
I remember when I was working at one branch, I had a patron come up to check out some books. I scanned her card and told her about some overdue fees she had on her account. She asked what they were for, I clicked a few buttons and told her they were for Toxic In Laws and Mother In Law Hell. She smiled and said, "Oh yeah, I remember those, completely worth it! In fact, after that week, I can write my own book."
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