Library Like… A Yeti

The Yeti as a library user is an elusive creature. Rarely interested in asking for help, the Yeti patron quietly yet competently navigates the library. 

Explore Options on Your Own

Once the Yeti patron secures a Canton Public Library card, and many prefer to do this online to minimize in-person contact, they can be almost entirely free from human interaction. They quickly go about looking for their own books, scouting their own quiet study corner, printing with a print card, browsing electronic resources from home, and attending drop-in programs while successfully avoiding the library’s social media photography.

Get Survival Tips and Contact-free Suggestions

Yetis in the wild have diverse reading tastes, but experts have discovered some themes among their book diet. Young Yetis seek out materials on solitude and quietness, thriving on reading together during their literacy development. As Yetis grow in confidence and approach adolescence, they seek books that speak to their chilly creature hearts. When Yetis reach full adulthood, their tastes become increasingly eclectic, but they can usually be tempted by a good mystery or survival story.

Yetis looking beyond stereotypical reads make ample use of the library's May We Suggest service, finding the online form preferable to a face-to-face request for materials or even worse, a phone call. In this way, the Yeti receives reading suggestions they may not otherwise encounter in their natural environment. While at one time Yetis missed out on the delight of specialized recommendations, the presence of May We Suggest allows the Yeti to adapt to their changing surroundings without altering their solitary habits.

Use Self-Service

The library-wise Yeti knows they can always register their account and place a hold on an item they are unable to find, instead of having to reveal themselves to a staff member. Occasionally, a less experienced Yeti will be found wandering the stacks, unable to locate an item—yet unwilling to call off the hunt—preferring not to make contact with a staff member to find the item in question. In this case, the Yeti is cautiously approached by staff and offered reassurance. With some quiet questioning, we can help the Yeti find their missing item before gently leading them back outdoors or to the stacks. 

Get it Curbside

To pick up materials, the bolder Yeti enters the library themselves and chooses their items or picks up their holds, using self-checkout whenever possible. They keenly pursue the challenge of operating under the radar while still making the most of library resources. The more retiring Yetis make full use of our curbside pickup service, sometimes going so far as to have a sympathetic friend make the phone call when they are ready to pick up materials.

Stay Cool

Within the library, there are many welcoming places for the discerning Yeti. They seek out chillier areas and prefer places that allow them to maintain a low profile. The circular couches near the Information Desk offer comforting vibes (and resident librarians know to leave them in peace unless asked) while study rooms 1-6 feature privacy and silence. Individual Yetis will not be asked to vacate these small rooms for groups, minimizing staff contact.

Observers note that Yetis avoid the quiet and pleasant fireplace area, as it too warm for the true Yeti, who always arrives well-insulated. For maximum camouflage in the library, a Yeti patron may wear glasses and a cardigan patterned to blend in with both the shelves and the staff.

Many users are aware of library resources for the social butterflies among the community, but the Yetis who fly under the radar find a different kind of connection without contact.