Public Service Announcement

I don’t know about you guys, but these virus-spreading geeks with nothing else to do really are getting on my nerves. Instead of maybe using their technical knowledge say for doing good they like to wreck havoc with the rest of us. Recently, I found I was infected with some window snatching device that tries and at times takes over your computer. If not, it at least minimizes the efficiency. Fortunately, I am not a hosting device and you can’t “catch” it from me. Apparently, it came from some email or upgrade that I received. Hopefully, you all will not fall prey to it.

There is quite a bit of information on it out there, but I really do question some of the “authority” sources and the methods or lack of to eliminate it. Not sure how it affects the system if I type the name of it so here is how I discovered it. When looking at the history of typed in sites on the address bar I noticed a two-word phrase without a typical full URL attached to it. One word was “about”. The second word was “blank”.

One of many really great things about books is the ability to read one without catching a virus. Well, unless you are a school or even public librarian. Some of those books come back with some nasty germs attached. Or maybe it was just when the kids handed them to me directly, but I swear I got sick from some of those books back in my elementary school library days.

Anyway, I will be back to semi-regular book notes later. One book note is how excited we are in this house about the latest Jane Yolen and Mark Teague book in their dinosaur series. The next picture book to come out is this fall titled How Do Dinosaurs Go To School? Great books for toddlers on up and the board books are really good for babies and up.

Library "Service"?

Oh woe is me. My inner selfish beast has surfaced over this weekend during a trip to the library. Over the years I have come to have a love hate relationship with our library system. It is very large with more than 20 branch locations. As a little girl and again as a teen (working as a page) I spent many hours in the library. However, I was always intimidated by the arrangement and service. Back in the day there was usually just one librarian on duty and one check out clerk. Now days the branches are very large (and more used) and usually have two or three librarians and a dozen or more clerks. In the olden days we didn’t have “children’s” librarians and to use the reference desk you had to be accompanied by an adult to ask a question or at least that was the implied message sent to the young ones. But, in the late 80’s and through the 90’s the library was very focused on customer service and programs and the library was an easy place to visit and find materials.

As I visited our library yesterday I discovered they have yet again cut back on services, librarian qualifications (a whole posting in itself), and hours. I was “informed” as I entered the queue to check out my books that there were other self check stations opened. I wasn’t sure what the smart mouthed young adult meant, but ignored her sarcasm and waited until the familiar clerk was available. It was then that another person behind the desk “informed” me that all the libraries are now self-check out and they no longer do it for you. Mind you there are no posted signs or instructions nor had I seen any previous notices about this change. I proceeded to the opened window area to be greeted by a monitor and scanner. Being familiar with grocery store checkouts I had a reasonable idea as to how it worked. As I started to scan a few books wouldn’t enter. I was then informed I must have too many books already checked out. Interesting as this was the first visit in a while and we have no library books currently checked out. After some verbal debate and card confirmation I asked them to see if the books were on hold and that is why they couldn’t be checked out. Nope, they don’t know why they wouldn’t scan so just go ahead and take them with out checking them out. I thanked the clerk, but declined, as I didn’t want to be responsible for books that aren’t in my name. The clerk was very adamant that I take the book so I did.

The real sad part of this whole exchange was the lack of help those asking for received and the layout didn’t looks as if young ones could reach the scanners. (This then brought up questions about elderly that are computer phobic and those that are new to libraries like our immigrant population.) There were a number of people asking for help with the scanners or just trying to locate books. But, the smart mouthed young adult was more than rude to so many insisting she was not allowed out behind the counter and that those asking should see the librarian. These librarians being only two that day were already swamped helping others. As a side note checking out the books could have been a breeze, but then you have to add a print out receipt to each book’s pocket to keep the security from buzzing on the way out. If you have a lot of books it can be a hassle, plus where are those cards they used to use that would make it so much quicker?

So, in addition to not only having to locate your own "hold" materials sitting out for anyone to select from, but you have to check your own books out, and the collections held at each library now change as they no longer send other branch books back to the original collection. So, if the computer says the book is in the branch’s collection that will not always be the case. I totally understand the need to cut back on expenses, but it seems the system did a quick jerk the band-aid off change without informing their public. I am looking at this new change from a customer side and selfish at that. If I were the library I could see some justification in the changes, but I am not working for them at reduced again wages like their grumbling staff is.