5 Things your Librarian Wishes you Knew Before Checking Out

Hello all! Welcome to my video about "librarian frustrations!" I try to keep as optimistic as possible, so putting this video together feels a little weird?



5 things that bugged me this week (and that happen all. the. time.)







1. Please check for library hours on the website or google before calling just to ask " hi are you open?" It can be a pretty jarring thing to run from shelving to get to the phone... only to have a 2 second chat.



2. Look for signage to answer your question - the example that springs to mind here is printing. I worked as a library/tech assistant for a while and was asked how to print 100 times a shift, despite the sign with all of the steps directly above the printer.Librarians try our best to anticipate information needs, so give a good look around to see if the answer isn't right there waiting for ya!



3.Be aware of due dates, renewals, and overdue fines for materials, as the conversation is an uncomfortable one from our side as well! enforcing a policy that patrons don't enjoy (like, the one that costs them money), can be really taxing when fines are taken personally. It's not a rebuke or a judgement and fines can be pretty easily avoided by keeping on top of the dates!



4. Please be considerate of materials and don't try and lie your way out of replacing something that has been destroyed. While wear and tear can be expected on commonly shared items, librarians are usually pretty aware of what items are nearing their replacement date (we keep track of things by leaving each other notes in our circ records or even on the books themselves!). Please be straightforward and kind - we're much more likely to cut you a break that way :)



5. Please don't tell me if you previously (or currently) think that libraries and useless and that librarians are unnecessary.



This is a bit more negative than I usually put out there, but I hope it reads more sheepish rather than ranting? Please let me know your thoughts as a library user or, if there are any librarians watching, if you agree/disagree with my thoughts!