Week 6- Reading Response

The Wikipedia articles on Computer and Local Area Networks were clear, concise, and very informative. As usual.

The article arguing for RFID was of particular interest to me, though, because I only knew a little about it, but kind of saw it as the dream-tool of weeding. The article was written in a very objective tone, explained the issues and technology very competently and pretty simply, but managed to make a convincing argument. A couple of things that caught my eye:

- "Libraries use new technologies becuase the conditions in the general environment that led to the development of the technology are also the conditions in which the library operates." Great point, great phrasing. I couldn't agree more.


-"A fully automated library could potentially know exactly where an item is, down to the very book truck or bin." Sorry, but I already do know almost where all of the books and movies are in my library at any given moment, whether they are checked out, and if not, where exactly they are right then. And the few I don't know, someone else does, because they checked it in, or shelved it, or just happened to notice it. Very, very rarely is there something that we can't locate. And we don't need computers to do it. Humans are just as capable as machines sometimes, if not more so.


-"Some libraries intend to become 100% self-check-out...The act of running patron cards and library items through a check-out station for hours at a time is mind-numbingly dull, and probably not the best use of staff time." Pardon me, but as a person who has been doing precisely that for 10 years and counting, let me tell you that dull is not one of the words I would use to describe it, and there are very few librarians that I have met in my time at the Free Library of Philadelphia who are able to handle or ever would take a shift on the front desk.*

To begin with, when you are circulating 12-1400 books in 7 hours, there's not a lot of time for boredom. Which brings me to the next point: have you ever been behind an absolute idiot at the self-check-out in the grocery store? How about if he had 15 books, 5 dvds, and 5 cds? And had to find his library card? In the time it takes the average intelligent person to move through the self-check-out machine, (say with 2 books and 3 movies), I have checked out 4 patrons with the same amount of material (assuming they needed no other services from me).

We do one-hour shifts on the desk (we've found that any longer and the nerves start to frazzle and tempers start to flare, not to mention you get very tired. There are some branches in our system that do two-hours, though). In the average one-hour shift, you will have to help people log on to the computers, find websites, send email, open email, locate government forms,find the travel section, print their jobs, use the copier, and even unlock the bathroom door, all while checking in the returned items, keeping the counter clear by promptly moving them to their shelving carts, and checking out all of the patrons that are leaving. And remember, the patrons leaving will want everything from seeing what they still have out, to renewing everything they still have, to placing 1, 5, 10 books on hold, to can they pay their fine, to "I did not borrow that book and I am not paying that fine! I am borrowing this book right now!" It is the very, very, extremely rare patron who just wants to check out his things, has his card ready, and has no problems with or questions about his account.

If that sounds dull to you, then I am awfully glad I don't have your job. For me, the biggest challenge of front desk work is patience: I am social worker, confidante, counselor, best-friend, government representative, and, most of all, captive audience--I signed up for absolutely none of these roles. I also have a very hard time maintaining a professional, neutral tone with people who are clearly smarter than they act, and may be nicer, better people than they necessarily show in the moment I am dealing with them. Public service is a difficult thing, and every once in a while I just hate all these stupid, annoying, ignorant, rude patrons, but never once have I thought it was dull.

*Special Note: . Although less than a handful of the librarians I have worked with in my system could and/or would take the desk, I am lucky enough to work for two who, while not completely able, are more than willing and just need occasional backup. And, as a result, they are getting better and better at it--my branch head even decided she wants to take a shift on all late nights so that she can get to know more patrons and see what they were reading.