# What should I get my librarians for Christmas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277 "2009-12-23T02:56:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/1 "2009-12-23T02:56:09Z")
My hometown library is AWESOME. They have a great selection, wonderful librarians, speedy reserve orders… everything a humble patron could want. So how do I properly show my appreciation? I’m not made of money, but neither are most libraries. What’s best? A starbucks gift card for the staff to share? Homemade/ storebought cookies? A donation to the Friends of the Library? I know we have some librarians on the Dope - what could a patron do to let you know that what you do matters every day? (P.S. I thought Cafe Society would get good answers from bookish folks, but if mods feel this is better suited to IMHO, I understand.) ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/2 "2009-12-23T03:03:27Z")
I’m not a librarian and I haven’t played one on television, but if you were to accompany cookies to share or a donation to the Friends of the Library with a handwritten note detailing just how awesome they are, I think you’d send them all over the moon.\* \*For those who don’t know that expression, it means they’d be really, really, really happy. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/3 "2009-12-23T04:33:44Z")
Lingerie. Tasteful, of course. 🙂 The Starbucks gift card sounds good, too. ---
**Author:** ![StoutHearted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@StoutHearted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StoutHearted)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/4 "2009-12-23T04:46:49Z")
Pay your late fees! 😉 Cookies, definitely. A donation wouldn’t hurt, either. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/5 "2009-12-23T04:55:46Z")
A note sent to the proper authorities (the Library Board, maybe) would be nice, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/6 "2009-12-23T15:02:46Z")
I used to get my librarians a gift every year. I would get several boxes of storebought cookies or candy, add a card signed “The Beetle\* Family”, and sneak it on to the desk. I’m not doing it now, because I’ve started using a branch of the library that is so small I can’t leave it without being seen, and I really liked the anonymity. \*a common last name in our parts. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/7 "2009-12-23T15:36:00Z")
Cookies are always good, or maybe a tin of popcorn… ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/8 "2009-12-23T19:01:24Z")
A Kindle 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/9 "2009-12-23T19:41:26Z")
Mmmmm… maybe not cookies. There are some patrons I’d eat cookies from and some I wouldn’t, if you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/10 "2009-12-23T19:44:14Z")
Librarian here. Cookies are good. Definitely good. But storebought, homemade stuff tends to get looked at funny because a lot of wackos use the library (not implying you’re a wacko). But if you want to do a donation, ask one of the librarians what they need and then offer to buy it. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/11 "2009-12-23T19:50:30Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Mmmmm… maybe not cookies. There are some patrons I’d eat cookies from and some I wouldn’t, if you know what I mean. I do. I make it a rule not to eat any food patrons bring in, any time of year. To the OP: another vote for whatever means your library uses to communicate praise up the ladder. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/12 "2009-12-23T20:04:38Z")
Well, a lady used to bring us fresh hot honeybuns from the Biscuit House. We ate the hell out of those. Generally, though, unless we know you really well we don’t eat your homemade food, no. ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/13 "2009-12-24T00:42:39Z")
Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I’m going to go with some (definitely storebought; I don’t really have the time or the talent for baking) cookies and a nice card, followed up by a letter of praise to the proper library authorities. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/14 "2009-12-24T01:39:11Z")
Lisa Loeb glasses and some hair ties. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-get-my-librarians-for-christmas/522277/15 "2009-12-24T02:30:04Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Mmmmm… maybe not cookies. There are some patrons I’d eat cookies from and some I wouldn’t, if you know what I mean. Yeah, storebought goodies please. 🙂