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- last entry / next entry - 2005-06-29 | 10:22 a.m.
I wish I ran the library. I consider myself a Friend of The Library. I love libraries. I love that I can go there, browse books and magazines and movies and see something I've never seen before that I can sit down and read or take home and wander thru. I love the reference librarians, those uber-researchers who either know everything or where to find it. (I think I'm a reference gal at heart.) I love that the library is a place where people work because they want to, not just because it's employment--it never pays enough to do it without an altruistic angle.
But absolutely LOATHE the Harold Washington Library right now, and by loathe I mean hate with the anger of a million burning suns. I want to put a cd on hold since I can't get to the library until tomorrow and it's the last one at that location. I call, wander thru the automated voice option maze, and end up dialing the 0perator. She transfers me, and then the ringing begins. And continues. After 40 rings, I hang up and call J in hopes that she knows the secrets of the CPL system. No such luck; for all that the website can tell me, it's incapable of putting a hold on any item. Instead, I have to find a real person and convince them to do it for me. At this point, I would have just arrived at the library had I walked there--not really saving me the time I thought this would save me. I call the Administration line this time, ready to remind them that this facility's sole purpose is to serve the public (me) and not thwart my attempts to educate myself. The Admin's number directly drops me into the automated voice maze again, so I 0 out, talk to the same woman, make the same request, and the ringing begins. This time, a woman answers, listens to half of my question, and cuts in with "I don't know why they transfered you down here, you need to talk to the people upstairs." I would LOVE to talk to the people upstairs. I would love to talk to anyone who could take some responsibility and just frelling help a patron in need instead of doing the 'it's not my job/department' dance. Because in this world of pre-recorded directions and voicemail hell? The library should be a safe-haven from that. Right now, they're the enemy and I'm ready to do battle with 'upstairs' just because they're next on my list. I get transfered to some poor guy who can sense that I'm holding on to my temper and sanity by a slim thread, because he is VERY helpful. Poor guy has to tell me that the computer catalog lied, and there's not a single shred of hope--it's not there. He orders it from another library and apologizes for the computer being stupid and wrong, bless his heart. And it's hard for me to be mad at somebody who truly does feel like he let a patron down. But I'm still pissed that I couldn't do this online AND that it's an incorrect listing. I just want to learn a new language without buying the cds. Is that so wrong? - last entry / next entry - |
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