That's a nice lost and found shelf....

So, I work at a campus library. During the summer, there aren't many students around and the library is pretty empty. One afternoon, I was working at the sorting shelves, putting books on them that had come up from the circulation area. My friend, Joanne, paused to talk to me as she went past. As we were chatting, I noticed a man attempting to approach us. By this I mean, he'd look at me and come closer, look at her and back away. Back and forth. Back and forth.

Much to my dismay, Joanne left me to my books and the man. This man was in his mid-thirties, I estimated. He was of Asian descent and wore round glasses. He had a saddlebag hanging on his side and a full-sized teal bath towel in his hand. As Joanne left, he approached.

"Hi, do you work here?" he asked, somewhat hopefully while sticking his head between the shelves to get closer.

"Yes, I do," I replied, trying to pay more attention to the books in my arm than the man with his head in the shelves.

"You do?!" He was thrilled. Yes, thrilled, "This is such a nice library you have here!"

Um.... yes. Because it belongs to me and everything. "Thanks? I like it."

He looked up at me, rather shocked, "You agree with me? You really agree with me?"

I was not sure how to respond. At all. So, I did what I could and smiled and nodded. Book on shelf. Next book on shelf.

"So, I have this bath towel," he holds it up. On closer inspection, it was damp. Odd.

He continues, "I was wondering if I could leave it here. While I study. Since I think I look a little odd carrying it around. But I don't think anyone would steal it, do you? I mean, it's just a towel. But it would be okay if someone stole it... I mean, it's just a towel..."

Whoa, Bessie. Chill out. But... why would you ever leave it on a desk in the library?

"You could leave it on the lost and found shelf?" I suggested. I was grasping for something, anything.... just leaving it on the table seemed awkward. And wrong.

His eyes lit up. "You have a lost and found shelf?!"

Why was he so excited about everything? I nodded.

"Can I see it?"

This was a moment when I was really grateful the lost and found shelf was just at the end of the range of shelves. And that I had a radio. I took him down to the lost and found shelf.

"Wow! This is a nice lost and found shelf."

Um... yes? I suppose it is?

So he put the towel on the shelf and turned to me. "I'm just going to leave it here. I don't think anyone will steal it, do you? I mean, it's just a towel... but it's not worth much so it's okay if they do."

Why was he so hung up on that?

"I'm going to be just studying right over there if you need me. I'll just be over there for the next thirty minutes."

Uh... noted.

"If your supervisor, the supervisor on this floor asks you what's going on, you can just tell them what's happening. I don't want to get you in trouble."

For having a towel on the lost and found shelf?

"Well, I am the supervisor on this floor..."

He paused, turned back to me and looked me up and down. His tone of voice changed from excited and innocent to suggestive, "Well, I've underestimated you."

He left. Then the oddity of the situation hit me. I hurriedly put the last of the books away then took the back way down to the main floor so I didn't have to pass the towel man on the way down.

After some conversations with my fellow library workers, I learned that others had had similar encounters. There was one girl who had been pestered for a ride to a used book store and a guy who had been bothered about the towel, also. We banded together and talked to our boss. Being the protective man that he was, he immediately talked to security with our complaints in hand. We learned that this man had a record and had spent time in prison. Oh good.

Cheers!

Rachel