Why are librarians so rude to the people waiting to use the computers?
I work Tuesdays and Thursdays from the public library. Some days I go to La Jolla's fancy-schmancy 3-story library. It has a whole room of computers and I never see anyone waiting.
Usually, however, I go to the library in Clairemont-Mesa, which has about 4 public computers. That's it. And the place is usually pretty full. So, I understand that the librarians want everyone to get their fair share of computer time. But there are more polite ways of speaking to people. Is it because they assume that the poeple using the public computers are not as intelligent? Or do they assume that the users are not going to be polite either and will try and "steal" someone else's computer time?
Or perhaps the librarians are overworked and underpaid...
Luckily there are three carrels here with outlets reserved for laptop use only. At the other library there are mutiple carrels all around the three stories and there are fancy, clean bathrooms with marble. Here there are 2 unisex bathrooms, somewhat smelly. It is quite interesting to see the differences in the libraries. Does property value affect the money alloted for the library? Or is it just that this library is much older?
One of these days I am going to go to the downtown library where I haven't been in many years. There was a plan to build a new central library - but that got nixed. Perhaps the people who think we don't need a library never go to the library? This library serves many needs - during the day there are people doing job searches and looking up things on the computers, there are people "working from home" like me, there are older adults spending some of their freetime reading and looking for books, Tuesday morning there is a a children's program, and in the afternoon the place fills up with kids doing homework (some sort of afterschool program). Never a dull minute!
Note: I don't go to the LJ one because there is often a traffic jam coming out of LJ and back up to campus.
4 comments:
Our libraries are really nice. I think it's because the voters approved a parcel tax for the libraries, so we have lots of new libraries. Our neighborhood has a new one being built that will be done in the spring. We go to the one in the old neighborhood that is pretty new, also, and very nice. It has a wide variety of patrons and a full computer lab plus computers for teens near the kids sections.
Our county libraries have a few, or more computers, and have varied book selections, according to client wishes, I guess. Some Atlanta libraries have trouble with gangs, with homeless sleepers, and with librarian quarrels! I guess you can get good ones and bad ones everywhere.
Is Seppi's book in the UCSD technical library? It didn't look like a local library resource, but maybe?
I hear the cousin is practicing librarian skills; maybe the kiddo will follow the parental lead and write?
love you all, gma
Most of the libraries in the Orange County Library System seem pretty nice, usually kind of fancy, and some of the individual city libraries are O.K. too. And they always seem to be full!
hmm. i got a library card for the first time since Charlotte (i think) just this past year. then i checked out several books. but i haven't been back. well, i did return the books, but that was my public library experience. I don't actually think there's wi-fi in the libraries here yet.
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