#wizardpeople

Impressions are an essential part of life: first impressions, second impressions, or any kind of imprint a person or thing left on you to make you remember them. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is just one example of this happenstance.

So often, a patron will come in and ask me if I know the title or author of a book about something like a girl travels by train as an orphan, or they can’t even give me that; it will just be a book where the main character makes a journey. Sometimes, the library is magical but we do not possess the power to dig deep into brains and reach the moment they read that book with the girl and the train. If so, we’d be in a lab or the CIA. Or, they’ll ask the same type of vague question because they read this book years ago and want to read it again but don’t remember any specific details—just that it was really good and they enjoyed it. That is an impression. That book, even though the patron can’t remember the actual reason they liked it, was memorable. I also know that I would go insane if I couldn’t remember the title, author, or hint of the plot if I wanted to read that story again. That’s like trying to find an ivory-colored button in a barrel of off-white buttons.

This also applies to writing a recommendation letter for a past employee whom you know did a wonderful job but you can’t remember any specific details about their duties or examples of when they stood out. Now, sometimes, generalizing and vagueness can be pulled off, but probably not here. Don’t despair. In this case, honesty might be a key player. It was polite of the employee to inform you they’ll be using you as a reference. In fact, our book states to “always ask for permission before using someone as a reference” and that “if you haven’t had contact with the person for some time, use the opening [of the permission letter] to trigger the reader’s memory of the relationship you had, the dates of association, and any special events or accomplishments that might bring a clear and favorable picture of you to mind” (Bovée 168).

Having them refresh your memory on what some of their daily tasks were shouldn’t be offensive. Everyone has busy lives and when people are no longer part of them, it is more difficult to remember specifics. Like the impressionable but forgotten books, you just need one spark to figure out what to look for. If they want a well-written letter that makes them shine, they’ll give you as much help as they can.