"Every library that I have worked in over the last twenty-plus years has had at least one staff member grumbling about how often they have to give directions to the restroom. They grumble about patrons who need lessons in reading signs and architects who evilly plan library buildings with invisible restrooms or restrooms far from the entrance. My question is this: Why grumble? This is our chance to shine, to invite people in. While it's true that any trained monkey could point in the correct direction, I would like to believe that human beings aspire to be a bit more helpful than this. In the current economy, with declining numbers of reference transactions and dwindling budgets, every patron encounter is important. These are not just people in need; every one of them has potential. They are potential Nobel Prize winners, potential legislators, potential parents of eager readers, potential library enthusiasts, children with future academic potential, and maybe even future library supporters.
Put yourself on the other side of the desk and rethink why someone might be asking a particular question. In the case of questions such as "where's the restroom?" most likely the person has never been in the building before. Yes, you've answered the question a bazillion times, but most people only ask the question on their first visit. Despite many efforts to the contrary, we are still fighting librarian stereotypes of cantankerous old ladies who shush people. Here is a golden opportunity to make a positive first impression, be welcoming, and influence a new person about the helpfulness of library staff. These interactions, in turn affect the eagerness of visitors to return in the future."
Source:
Pellack, Lorraine J. “First Impressions and Rethinking Restroom Questions.” Reference & User Services Quarterly., vol. 49, no. 1, 2009, p. 4.
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