When libraries troll their patrons. [1] from r/pics [2]

Librarians know everything.

Apparently that's what we all assume, which is why a nameless employee at a local library created a hilariously sarcastic book display to demonstrate that, even if they do know a lot about books, they aren't mind-readers.

The photo — shared by Reddit user sidshembekar [3] — is an epic response to what was likely a customer's annoying demand: "I need you to find a specific book . . . I don't know the plot . . . no, I don't know any characters or when it was published or what the cover looked like . . . oh, wait! It was red. The book was red. Did you find it yet?"

Thousands of comments poured in shortly after the image was posted — but what started as former bookstore employees lamenting their most frustrating customer requests became a bittersweet accounting of people once desperate to remember a nearly forgotten book and going to great lengths to find it.

In fact, one commenter, Reddit user starstarstar42, wrote a response so poignant, readers were moved to tears:

Other commenters joined in with similar versions of that story — and tearful reminders to resist throwing away old books from one's youth.

"I have a one-year-old and I'm desperately trying to find some of my childhood favorites for us to read together," one person wrote. "My own copies were sold in a yard sale 15 years ago. Don't do that. Keep them all!"

In the end, that librarian with the now-viral display shelf has done a damn good job of showcasing the power of books. As one commenter put it: "This is why I love books. The memories, the feels, the everything. Thanks for reminding me how special they are."