This is not because of the interesting materials they hold, but because of the variety of people encountered and the sometimes surprising nature of their requests.

Anybody whose job involves a lot of public contact would agree that some days all you can do is shake your head, smile or laugh and get on with your work.

Some years ago, a group of librarians at a conference discussed the very noticeable fact that public libraries are not featured in any major Australian television series. This is despite all the statistics that show libraries to be the most frequently visited cultural facilities in any local community.

A letter was dispatched to the producer of several very successful series pointing out that the communities depicted were deprived of public libraries. Unfortunately this very wealthy producer was unimpressed and the residents remained in a cultural limbo.

It should not surprise librarians that script writers and producers not only overlook the important role of public libraries, but also fail to appreciate the dramatic potential of such places.

Several years ago, one popular English comedy series featured a library as a regular meeting place for its characters. Unfortunately, the person in charge was a silence-demanding, totally intimidating, user unfriendly and hair-in-a-bun caricature of a librarian. Public librarians could only smile sickly and cringe.

The stereotype was shattered by Tom Conti's portrayal of an excessively libidinous, often inebriated and over-the-top librarian in a teleplay of The Norman Conquests. (And he wasn't at a library conference either).

The only people who understand public libraries are those who work there. They know that it involves more than issuing and returning library items, shelving, sending out overdues notices and fining late returns.

Family and friends often find it difficult to believe what happens in libraries. When library staff from various places get together and start talking work, the conversations are very interesting. Laughter, sadness and lots of head shaking, but we know it to be the truth.

One day someone will write the book or produce the television series and the old stereotypes will be blown away for ever. Then Mt Thomas, Ramsay Street, Pearl Bay and Summer Bay will all have public libraries. We could do an intellectually demanding library version of Survivor, although I suspect Big Brother might be a bit much.

Now if I can find that script I have written I do promise that all the names have been changed. After all, truth is often stranger than fiction.