So today I embarked upon the process of considering a better way to structure library procedures for the multimedia library associated with one of my jobs. The kinds of questions that are coming up:
* How long is a reasonable length for checkout of an item?
* Should instructors be able to check something out for a whole semester or is that "hogging" an item that might be in demand?
* How do we alphabetize/ organize/ find items in our catalog that are titled in non-English-character languages, like Chinese? Followed quickly by: How can we make that easier?
* Is it better to have one copy each of many different titles so that we have the rare good stuff that is hard to find? Or is it better to have multiple copies of hot items in demand so that people don't go away empty-handed? (We're not Blockbuster; given our space we can do one or the other.)
Those of my readers who have known me for many years will know that my first non-Christmas-pageant musical was "The Music Man." We did it during my freshman year of high school, and I was in the chorus. With two long pigtail braids and a flouncy pink dress, no less. Our multimedia library lacks the spiral staircase and big library tables of the small-town Iowa library in the classic movie version. Nonetheless, I've been humming the library song for hours ever since emerging from the meeting where all these questions were asked. I'm also starting to understand why Marian was so uptight. People in charge of libraries have to say "no" to silly requests a LOT.
1 comment:
What types of silly requests do people make? I hope I'm not guilty of ever making a silly request to librarians....I couldn't live without them!
Also, my new place kicks butt because they will buy you ANY book you want to add to the library's collection as long as it's under $500. No questions asked. I'm busy building up their collection in the social history of medicine.
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