Regular Patrons at the Public Library

I have come full circle from a librarian to a library patron.  I recall many of the regular patrons at the New York Public Library Science and Technology Division where I worked from 1983-90.  Some of the regular patrons were:

• Tennis Ball Man - this gentleman obviously had emotional problems as whenever he came to the library he had a tennis ball in his hand
• Dr. Salzer, the mathematician
• Mr. Lieberman, the eccentric old chemist
• The cookbook man.  He just looked at the cookbooks but never prepared any of the dishes.
• The many information brokers who were paid to retrieve articles for businesses.  They were real pains in the neck since they always asked for documents that were hard to find.

Now that I am retired, I am a regular patron of the Mitchell-Linden branch of Queens Library.  I have observed some of the regular patrons:

• The Newspaper Lady - she grabs all of the current newspapers and keeps them away from interested patrons.
• Elderly Chinese Man #1 - he comes in with a magnifying glass and reads the Chinese newspapers.  He sleeps in his chair half of the time.
• Elderly Chinese Man #2 - He has long hair and does the staff a favor by returning the magazines to the shelves.
• A student with a backpack.  - He sits in his chair and plays with his cell phone all the time he is in the library.

When the weather gets warmer I will leave the library and do my reading on different park benches.