Can you hear me?

As an information junkie, I like to listen to what is being said around me.  Call me a audio voyeur...what people are saying and talking about is interesting to me.  It's especially important to be a good listener when someone is asking me for something.  Students come into the Media Center, and they ask for help with a variety of things.   It's really important to me to truly hear what they are saying so that I can actually help them get what it is they are looking for, be it materials or information.  

I try to use active listening when I am having trouble understanding what is being asked of me.  Active listening is simply the act of telling the other person what you thought you heard them say.  Often times, this can help bring clarity to a conversation.  That's because sometimes what you thought you heard is NOT what was being said!  Then, you can take the conversation to the place where it was supposed to be.  

So, my question for you, today, is...how do you listen?