Echo: Feeling Responsible for Everything

Have you ever had this nagging feeling as onellums expressed in ACRLog while working at the reference desk? We are lucky to have our Web team and Circulation to cove many of the requests and problems related to computers, printing system, and copy machines. Whenever we received those questions or requests, we would just do referral. However, I do receive other requests at the reference desk and probably I shouldn't fill:

• Blank CDs and CD markers
  
• Spoons and forks
  
• Advil® ( I always keep a bottle in my office)
  
• Tissues
  
• Printing online articles
  
• Retrieving a book from the shelf and put it at Circulation for them to pick up
  
• Photocopying articles
• PDFing articles from print collection

I, too, find myself easily get lost in the ephemera of students’ and faculty's needs! I was told we didn't provide these services, part of the reason was we were lack of people. My reason to take them up was pretty simple: It's hard for me to tolerate patrons leaving the library without getting what they need. I believe library is a great place and promoting the library starts with minor things we might not even consider important. However, little things mean something for each individual patron.

I always enjoy helping others and by doing so I get help, too. Does that make me a bad librarian? Does offering extra help go beyond my responsibilities?