Anything but a book.

April 20, 2008 9:43 AM

What's a thoughtful way to thank two librarians who went through a lot of hassle for me?

The librarians in question work at the high school I attended over a decade ago, and they dug through the media archives until they found a VHS recording of the play I directed my junior year. I want to give them big hugs, but they're 2000 miles away...and we've never met.

So what's a small, sharable gift that would brighten a librarian's day? Chocolate? A plant that thrives in fluorescent light?

posted by roger ackroyd to shopping (12 comments total)

In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a gift basket. Call the local florist (local to them, that is), tell them your budget, and see what kind of gourmet snack gift basket they might be able to put together. The librarians will appreciate the thought, and if there's anything in the basket they don't want to eat, they shouldn't have any trouble pawning it off on a coworker.
posted by LolaGeek at 9:49 AM on April 20, 2008 [1 favorite]

Seconding a gift basket- or flowers. I know you can't eat it, but flowers really do a great deal to brighten their day. Consider a tropical assortment that might last for a few weeks- my boyfriend sent me this bouquet last month and after a month the star ginger, orchids, protea and heliconia still look vibrant and lovely.
posted by arnicae at 9:55 AM on April 20, 2008

sorry if this is a lame-o "gift" (and maybe not so personal), but i would imagine that any good librarian would appreciate a donation of books and/or funds. no?

(i have no idea how (public?) school library funding works, or if that library would even need that sort of support.)

and of course you would send a very lovely thank you card, i assume.
posted by gcat at 10:14 AM on April 20, 2008

Also, don't forget the public pat-on-the-back to their boss, either the Principal of the school or potentially the school board of the system. If you can dig a little and find out who their "boss" is, would be nice to let them know they went out of their way to help you.
posted by griffey at 11:00 AM on April 20, 2008 [3 favorites]

I agree with a donation on their behalf, because it manages to show the principal/boss that they've done something nice.
posted by dpx.mfx at 11:32 AM on April 20, 2008

Please do make sure their bosses know. A letter addressed to Principal, Foo High School or to the school board will be very helpful.

A gift basket or flowers work well. If you were physically there, I'd recommend homemade cookies or a box of donuts, but since they can't see you to know you aren't a creep trying to poison them, something that comes from a local vendor is probably better. You could even have a pizza sent over, especially if there is someone there (a secretary, perhaps?) who'd know if your library staffers had specific dietary needs.

As for books or funds, school libraries seldom have much of a book budget, but it is highly likely that any money sent would end up being confiscated and used for other purposes. Books probably won't be the ones they really need. Best to stay away from those kinds of donations.

The one exception would be if you've got a video or DVD of a play you've directed since.
posted by QIbHom at 12:12 PM on April 20, 2008

Cheryl and Co cookies are the yummiest. They are individually packaged so it will be easy to share and they won't have to eat them fast.
posted by meeshell at 2:18 PM on April 20, 2008

My librarian says that a gift card from a bookstore is always a welcome gift.
posted by Neiltupper at 2:19 PM on April 20, 2008

any good librarian would appreciate a donation of books and/or funds. no?

Funds, yes. Books, no. I handle the donations for our public library, and if we already have enough copies of a donated book, we can't justify keeping it in most cases. People tend to imagine that libraries love having any number of good books, but the reality is that space considerations, including visual clutter on the shelves, is a big problem in most libraries. A donation of funds will allow the librarians to spend them on whatever it is they need at the moment-- which may or may not be books.

Also, seconding telling their boss(es) how great they are.

And thanks for loving your librarians!
posted by Rykey at 2:32 PM on April 20, 2008

I've never met anyone who didn't like a giant heaping fruit basket. Mmmm, pineapple.
posted by Popular Ethics at 2:46 PM on April 20, 2008

I think the telling the boss thing is a great idea. Librarians always seem to be undervalued. Praising them to the people in charge might be more valuable than money. Not that any good librarian wouldn't adore a gift card they can use the fill out their collection. I am not sure about other libraries but mine makes many book orders with Amazon and Alibris.
posted by Foam Pants at 3:40 PM on April 20, 2008

Thanks everyone! I think a gift basket with nibbles is the way to go.
posted by roger ackroyd at 10:12 PM on April 22, 2008