Picture it: you’re up to your eyeballs in shenanigans. A truckload of small press catalogs is sitting on your desk, begging to be perused in the name of a balanced, inclusive collection. You still haven’t sent a packet of Mango bookmarks to all the county libraries yet, despite the assistance of your charming intern, and the soft chime of your e-mail account consistently signifes the Hydra-like multiplication of your responsibilities. Is it any wonder you long for the mailman?
No, not like that. But the daily mail deliveries, morning and afternoon, are always a harbinger of hope for me. I never know what I’ll get - some ARCs, maybe. A new LJ assignment. Cool database catalogs. Library mail is like pizza: even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good.
Every now and again, though, my simple mail-joy gets amplified a million times over when a handwritten note appears, especially when it appears out of the blue, as one did a few weeks ago. Postmarked 7/28/09 and sealed with a pretty floral sticker, a cream-colored envelope appeared on my desk. Delighted, I opened it to reveal a very lovely thank-you note from a library school student whose resume and cover letter I’d reviewed.
Now, mind you, I don’t volunteer with SIS’s resume review service because I crave adulation–I get plenty of that from my cats. However, I must confess that it does make the cynical old heart warm over when someone takes the time out of his/her day to thank you for something you would gladly do anyway. As our technological communiques become more swift and sophisticated, the old-fashioned hallmarks of politeness become much more meaningful. In my humble opinion, at any rate.
So, if you happen to be hiring, and you come across the name Emily Knorr? Give her an interview. Not just because of what’s on her resume and cover letter, but also for what’s in her character…and, of course, her sterling taste in note cards. 
It’s true – no good deed goes unnoticed at Alchemy! Do you have a peer or classmate who excels at little things, and/or goes the extra mile? How important are tiny gestures to you as an employer? As an employee?
