Comments on: getting dad a library card

By: Sarah Mae

Sarah Mae — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:36:27 +0000

As someone working in a public library where staff shortages and long lines are becoming increasingly common, I have to say this library is doing things not as well as they could be. Try not to multitask with patrons. There should be a clear place to line up and wait, whether it is for reference or circulation. We have started keeping library card applications at Reference so that we can give new patrons the form and they can fill it out while they wait in line at circ. When someone gets their brand new card, they are given their pin number, a list of all the libraries in our system and information about fines, fees and lending periods.

By: Friday Link Round Up « ellie <3 libraries

Friday Link Round Up « ellie <3 libraries — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:29:48 +0000

[...] getting dad a library card [...]

By: Meg

Meg — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:11:56 +0000

I’m sorry it wasn’t a positive experience for your father, but I have to say that this was a very helpful post for me as a librarian. I can very easily see the situation devolving into this at almost any library given the right circumstances. I know that it’s so easy when I’m busy and exhausted to just quickly DO something (like walk over to get an application) rather than take the extra five seconds to explain what I am doing to a patron. It’s good to see this from the other side and remember what that feels like when you don’t know what’s going on. So really, I feel tired and sympathetic for the staff of that library, and I hope they get this written up and given to them without them knowing it was about their library so they can learn without being defensive.

I also think renovations make everyone grumpy.

And I’m sure I’m not the only person who does this, but when I go on vacation, I actually stop at public libraries and go in and look around to see what they’re like. My boyfriend is used to this and plans for it.

By: Anjaana

Anjaana — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:30:49 +0000

I am sorry that your dad did not feel welcome in that particular library. I am giving you invitation to visit Smyth Bland Regional Library here in South West Virginia in a small town named Marion. I want you experiece a good old southern hospitality here in this small library. I am from India, and when we came to visit the area only for couple of monthes. Guess what that was almost 11 years ago. My husband and I love this area so much that we decided to settle down here. I hope you get to read this message and come visit us soon. Thanks
Anjaana Chadha

By: GiovanniNVA

GiovanniNVA — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:44:35 +0000

I’m appauled at the behavior of that particular library. I would hate to hear any patron that I have had in the past say that about the library I work. I always make sure I give out a brochure to every new patron and I have a reminder brochure about services that we offer. We are a small town regional library, but we make sure our patrons are always served with a smile!

By: Penny

Penny — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:57:54 +0000

I am not missing the points made here, but all I want to say right now is that I LOVE the photo of your dad, and the entry with your email dialogue about the iBistro thing, the photo is adorable, and the email dialogue sounds like ones my dad and I have (on the phone though, my dad doesn’t use email). So sweet!

By: Chris in NJ

Chris in NJ — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:38:05 +0000

Apologies in advance if this has already been said, but I am old enough to remember learning library skills in school. There was a real DIY aspect to using the library. Part of the educational process was figuring out how to use the library for yourself. The prevailing approach was that, after a basic introduction, students need to know how to use the library on their own – looking up items in the card catalog and going to the stacks, also using things like the Reader’s guide to Periodical Literature, was part of the research process, and in order to call your work your own, you had to be able to do this independently. I am under age 50, and I say this because a lot has changed in a very short amount of time. I think old vestiges of the DIY culture/mentality still exist in many libraries. The trick these days is in giving a newbie enough of a welome, and initial instruction, so that eventually this person will be able to look things up on their own. (That old expression about teaching someone to fish comes to mind.) But there still needs to be that initial support. Maybe that’s the piece that was missing here. The staff member saw a gentleman of a certain age and perhaps assumed he knew his way around a library. To me, the lesson here is be welcoming, and explain what you are doing every step of the way. And don’t assume anything, ever.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:34:49 +0000

The catalogue stuff is true, but as for the getting a card, libraries don’t have a monopoly on bad customer service, like the majority of stores staffed by min. wage 16 yr olds. We all have dreams of smiling faces and fantastic pitches by staff but the reality is what it is: sounds like that library is very busy, underfunded and understaffed. Little too anecdotal for my taste but that is the crappy side of blogs, the personal is taken for the general.

By: agathafrye

agathafrye — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:40:43 +0000

Ummm, for starters, why did they have to walk away to get a library card application? Why didn’t they have a stack of them at the desk? I have lots of other opinions about this post, but this one really hit me upside the head. Sheesh!

By: Marc

Marc — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:39:40 +0000

I found this post very interesting. The impartial tone of your post (though I think in essence, you feel this library failed) lends itself to a lot of different interpretations of your dad’s library visit, depending upon the reader’s own experience, either as library staff, as a patron, or both, and so the responses to your post are just as compelling—kinda like a little Rorschach for all of us. I am a reference librarian at a medium-sized public library, so a lot of the small slights you mention hit a nerve, and helped remind me to be more aware of our patrons’ needs, and any confusion new patrons might be experiencing. That said (there’s that phrase!), as is true of any service position, it’s a challenge to anticipate every patron’s need, or to not fall into the trap of jaded routine. It’s cliche, but just because you’ve done it 10 times today already, your procedures aren’t crystal clear to the new guy who’s just walked into your library. I think patrons do need to realize that libraries can be overburdened and understaffed and show an appropriate level of patience, but the plain fact is, libraries need to keep attracting new advocates, and first impressions are important.

Ann, loved your comment about ‘librarians don’t use other libraries’. I had to visit a library in another county this past week in ‘new patron mode,’ and I was surprised to find myself a little intimidated and confused myself!

Terrific post, Jessamyn.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:12:31 +0000

I think it is so important, and yet I find that it is also very difficult for people who work in libraries to look at our practices, rules, and organization from the patron’s point of view. Once you are a part of an organization it is very difficult to unpack all of the information you have about why we do what we do and explain it to patrons each and every time.
It is so easy to start taking little things for granted, for instance walking away to get a form, which may seem like an obvious step for the employee, but not so to the patron as you pointed out.
It would be enlightening I am sure if we could all accompany a patron on a visit to our libraries as an observer. I am glad you shared this experience, because it made me think once again about the things we do at my library and how some of those practices might not make a whole lot of sense to a patron.

By: It looks easy to us « Going Digital

It looks easy to us « Going Digital — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:08:09 +0000

[...] getting dad a library card [...]

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:37:39 +0000

Jen, I’ve been writing this blog for ten years and I think I have a decent track record of understanding the real challenges libraries face. I have also worked in outreach in public libraries for years and know that sometimes libraries don’t understand how they look from the outside. I didn’t expect fawning at all. Yes I am for real.

My father is a smart guy who doesn’t care at all about the library. I wanted him to at least have gone into his own library so I brought him over. The visit to the library left him feeling confused, ignored and generally asking “Why did I go here again?”

If our argument as libraries and librarians as that we should endeavor to provide services to the people who are already there and/or know what they want, that’s one thing. As a public institution, I feel we have an obligation to serve the entire community and understand their desires and concerns.

I think my post was polite and informative without being snarky or blame-tossing. If a library is understaffed enough that they can’t sign up a resident for a library card without that resident feeling bad about the whole experience or like they were wasting the library workers’ time, I think they could stand to improve their services.

By: Jen

Jen — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:16:50 +0000

Are you for real?

Honestly, this sounds like a very typical library visit to me.

You’re disappointed because your dad had to (horrors!) *fill out a form* and wait in line? Because it was a little busy, and the understaffed library wasn’t able to warmly fawn over him immediately?

If you think you can get that level of service, in this economy, with librarians retiring, positions not being filled, and budgets being slashed, you’re nuts.

By: Tammy

Tammy — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:38:02 +0000

I dont think it’s going so far out of our way to explain to patrons what we’re doing “Give me a second, and I’ll grab you an application.” I did that when I worked in a pizza shop. This way you weren’t just walking away from the counter, and the customer had NO IDEA whether you were going to get their pizza, make a personal phone call… high tail it through the back door…

I also don’t think it’s a bad assumption to make that SOME patrons (if not MOST) are going to have questions–and they won’t even know what those questions are. What’re the hours? How does this pin number thingy work? And they won’t realize it was a question, until they want to renew a book at 9PM on Sunday night, or log onto the computer system.

Not all users will be computer savvy, and may need just a brief orientation with the computer system, the automatic checkout system, what various things are called (I have a REAL problem with a sign saying OPAC being hung over the machine with the “online catalog” on it–WE know what an OPAC is. Dad, who last used a library when there were cards in drawers has NO IDEA.)…

I faced this attitude when I worked in the tech industry as well… “well, I know what it is, and how it works, so I don’t understand what’s so hard for the patron. obviously they’re just stupid, or never paid attention in library class.” Because everyone remembers what they learned 50 years ago in 4th grade about the Dewey Decimal System that many libraries don’t even use any more.

I bet your car mechanic feels the same way about YOU, when you wander in with a “rumbly-thingy under my feet when I go uphill.” No–we want someone not only to fix the problem, and make it stop rumbling, but explain to us what was making the noise, so we can understand the next time something goes awry.

A welcome package AND a welcome email, in addition to giving a brief verbal overview means the patron has a prayer of remembering SOME of the new information they’re being inundated with. And if they feel comfortable enough, say, checking out a DVD, then they may come back and learn how to navigate the catalog, or learn who to ask for help, or come back for an event.

Heck, I’m intimidated walking into a new library, and I went to school for this stuff. I don’t want to look like a “tourist” and wander around aimlessly, and I don’t want to make assumptions based on the last library I was in… and I also don’t want to bother someone, if I can help it. I also don’t like feeling dumb when the “self-help” signage or literature ISN’T helpful to me. I think most patrons feel this way too