In which we discuss the knife-wielding man in the library

 

My dear friend who was working at the front desk of one of our other library branches was approached by a man with a large knife. Don't worry, the knife-wielding man was very polite. He said "This is my knife. Am I allowed to bring it into the library?"

My dear friend has all the interesting things happen to him at the library! 

Like, there was the time he found $2,700 in a copy of Hot Rod Magazine. He called the patron who had returned said magazine stuffed with cash. This library patron was quite pleased to get their money back. That happened 25 years ago when $2,700 really meant something. And stuff like this happens to my dear friend pretty much every quarter of a century. This time it was the guy asking about his knife; who knows what will happen in 2047?

Anyway, to reiterate, the polite knife-wielder said: "This is my knife. Am I allowed to bring it into the library?"

Now, one doesn't want to incorrectly answer that question in the negative. On the one hand, it just won't do to fob off incorrect information at a library. Library patrons can get quite touchy about these things!

And on the other hand, one can get stabbed.

So my dear friend went to check in with the manager.

While he was doing this the knife-wielder wandered to another library desk to ask about his knife.

It sounds like he was less a super polite knife-wielder than he was someone who just really liked to show his knife to people.

On the plus side, no one was stabbed.

Was he allowed to bring a knife to the library?

We were told in emails that, no, knives and guns are not allowed in the library. But all of us discussing it seemed to recall we had to take down our signs banning them because the county isn't allowed to prohibit them? 

There was a court case? Or something?

It seems a little unclear to me.

I think I'll stick with my dear friend's good judgment. If someone comes in with a knife go to the manager and say "Someone with a large knife would like to talk to you."