He's the Reference Guy and He's Okay

With all the visits to this blog in the past 10 days to see IM Shorthand for the Monty Python Fan, I thought of something from long ago. When I left the Dolton Public Library to work for the Suburban Library System, I was given a going away party. The staff of the Dolton Public Library were very good at throwing parties and I knew that I'd have fun, even though I was leaving them to work somewhere else. Just before I opened presents (it was a surprise wedding shower, too!), the staff sang a very funny song for me. Ruth Ann (a big Monty Python fan) and cohorts wrote new lyrics to a familiar tune. I found a typed copy in my files.

CHORUS:
He's the reference guy and he's okay
He works all week and Saturday.
REPEAT

He bakes his bread,
He hooks his rug,
He goes to the library (Li-Brar-ee).
On weekends he goes driving,
Takes Bonnie out for tea.

REPEAT CHORUS

He rides his bike,
He takes a hike,
He eats dried fruit for lunch,
And when he's gone to Oak Lawn,
We'll sure miss him a bunch.

REPEAT CHORUS

He laughs at jokes,
He's kind to folks
Who bug him every day.
The patrons will all miss him
When we no longer say:

CHORUS
He's the reference guy and he's okay
He works all week and Saturday.


I had forgotten my giantic hooked rug project. Like my sewing a Halloween costume by hand, it took forever. It is amazing the projects I started when I was young and did not know better.

It is great working in libraries where people care so much and throw great parties. (Consider this librarianship promotional material and totally appropriate for this blog.)

Can you thank people again years later for their friendship? I only know where a few of them are now. They were the library staff and they were okay, too.