interesting solution to an everyday problem

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Yesterday, a patron approached the desk and asked if I could look up her library card number.  After looking it up and writing it down for her, she shrugged her shoulders dejectedly and said she may never find her library card again.  I told her I'd be happy to make her a new card and it was free, and she politely said no thanks and asked if she could use one of our permanent markers.  I fanned out a selection of markers for her (she chose black), and I went back to discharging books at a different computer.

A few minutes later I noticed the patron was still standing at the help desk.  I began walking towards the desk to ask her if she needed anything else, and that's when I noticed what she was doing.  She was very carefully writing her library card number on every single card in her wallet - credit card, insurance card, punch cards, everything.  She was very intent on the task at hand and didn't notice me approaching or backing away from the desk.

After several minutes, she put the cap back on the permanent marker, flipped through her stack of cards, and satisfied that her library card number was on each card, put them back into her wallet.