Stories from the Front Lines

Here's the thing about being a librarian -- in particular a reference librarian. Sooner or later (and probably sooner), you have to deal with what are collectively known as "problem patrons." These people range from those with mental illness, to the homless, to the assholes, to the just plain dumb.
Learning a constructive way to deal with these (and the other frustrations of the job) is an important part of the job. For me, in an effort to avoid burning out before I'm 30, this will probably be an outlet.

However, I also don't want to lose my job. I *like* my job. So I'm going to do two things. One, no identifying information. Two, I'm going to put it under a filter. Even without iding info, the last thing I need is someone reading between the lines and deciding I'm talking about them. So if you want to hear my work stories, please comment.