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You ever watch "Dinosaurs!", the tv show by Jim Henson with muppet dinosaurs? There was an ep. where the dad finds an anniversary gift, which was a pair of some type of delicious rodents. The rodents talk to Robie, the son dinosaur, and tell them they are the last of their kind. The rodents try to explain extinction with grapes as an example "if these are the last grapes, and you eat them, there are no more grapes."
Anyway a woman come up and she's very nice (NW). But I get the attitude from her that "obviously the library is stupid."
NW: Why does the catalog say "No copies available for checkout"? You don't have the books?
Me: Ok, the catalog shows there isn't any available copies. They are all checked out.
NW: *still doesn't get it*
Me: ok, see here, where it says "date due"? The book isn't due until 10/9/08.
NW: oh, ok. Can I place a hold request?
Me: *pointing it out on the screen* yes, just click here where it says "place a hold request."
Yeah, sounds like a oxymoron that she was nice but she was acting it was obvious the library doesn't know what's it doing. To me, it seems obvious that we set up the catalog to let people know if there is a book to be checked out or not. Lot of people don't understand when a book is "in transit" or "due...". And then there's the message that says, "book on hold shelf". People ask, "so it's on the shelf?" Also, I was afraid she will ask "oh, it is due 10/9? and today is the 11th? Can't you make the person return the book?" or "then why the book isn't on the shelf if it was due 10/9?" Yeah, I had people ask that before.
The bottom line is, people don't want to wait for a book, so anything that keeps people from getting a book today is obviously the library's fault for not doing its job!
Anyway a woman come up and she's very nice (NW). But I get the attitude from her that "obviously the library is stupid."
NW: Why does the catalog say "No copies available for checkout"? You don't have the books?
Me: Ok, the catalog shows there isn't any available copies. They are all checked out.
NW: *still doesn't get it*
Me: ok, see here, where it says "date due"? The book isn't due until 10/9/08.
NW: oh, ok. Can I place a hold request?
Me: *pointing it out on the screen* yes, just click here where it says "place a hold request."
Yeah, sounds like a oxymoron that she was nice but she was acting it was obvious the library doesn't know what's it doing. To me, it seems obvious that we set up the catalog to let people know if there is a book to be checked out or not. Lot of people don't understand when a book is "in transit" or "due...". And then there's the message that says, "book on hold shelf". People ask, "so it's on the shelf?" Also, I was afraid she will ask "oh, it is due 10/9? and today is the 11th? Can't you make the person return the book?" or "then why the book isn't on the shelf if it was due 10/9?" Yeah, I had people ask that before.
The bottom line is, people don't want to wait for a book, so anything that keeps people from getting a book today is obviously the library's fault for not doing its job!
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