Everyday miracles

In my previous column, I presented four memorable reference encounters that I have had with users over the past three decades. Those examples highlighted the complexity of the interaction between the librarian and the user and raised the question of the changing nature of the definition of quality service. The lesson to be learned from that column is that our interactions with our users are complex and that the meaning of the work that we do needs to be interpreted in the light of the user’s individual perspective. In this column, I would like to focus more on the common, everyday interactions that we have with our users and how those interactions affect—and strengthen—our local communities.