Of course, we could just get all new customers to read this.
That would sort it out - oh yes!
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Cultural differences
I know a lot of librarians read this blog, but bear with me a few moments...
Imagine you're a customer. Yes, "customer", not "borrower" as they are small people who live behind the skirting boards. Not "user" - libraries are not heroin, nor even opiates for the masses. Not even "reader", as we all offer much more than that - don't we?
Anyway, for the sake of argument, you're a customer and you're looking for Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cooking.
You walk into a bookshop - you look around at the headings on the bookshelves - you notice that there is an area headed "cookery" or "food and drink", you think - ah, yes, that sounds right. On closer inspection, you notice that every couple of shelves is a smaller sign "barbecues", "soups", "A-z by country" Ah-ha!!!! a,b,c,d,e,f - French cookery.
You take the initiative - you read the titles and author's names on the spines of the books - OK sorry, getting a bit controversial there. But hey - you did it!
Now the alternative scenario - you walk into a traditional library. There are no signs above the shelves. On the end of each run of shelving, you notice an array of numbers (340-385, 610-649 etc.) You walk further and may notice a decrepid poster filled with a list of these numbers and what they mean, written in arcane language. (If you're a kid, your poster may have a jungle theme but the language will be the same).
OK - you say - I get it, there's some sort of coded system in play here! But, I'm an intelligent human so I can work it out. Right, let's see:
000 - computers, information and general works (nope)
100 - philosophy and psychology (nope)
200 - religion (well Delia's a bit fanatical about eggs but...nope)
300 - social sciences (don't think so)
400 - language (non!)
500 - science (erm, no)
600 - technology (nope)
700 - arts and recreation (ah-ha! The culinary arts! Recreational activity - sounds good, just finish checking)
800 - Literature (nah!)
900 - History and geography (no - hee-hee! I've cracked it, now, off to find the 700 section!)
time passes.
slowly.
Give up.
Go home or ask the code master.
Of course 641.5944!! "Utilising the sciences to harness the natural world and it's resources for the benefit of mankind" = Cookery! Silly me.
By the way - helpful tip, when you do get to it, if you do get to it, hope there's not too may books on French cookery, because chances are, you won't be able to identify the book you want behind all the spine labels.
There ends today's anti-Dewey rant.
Imagine you're a customer. Yes, "customer", not "borrower" as they are small people who live behind the skirting boards. Not "user" - libraries are not heroin, nor even opiates for the masses. Not even "reader", as we all offer much more than that - don't we?
Anyway, for the sake of argument, you're a customer and you're looking for Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cooking.
You walk into a bookshop - you look around at the headings on the bookshelves - you notice that there is an area headed "cookery" or "food and drink", you think - ah, yes, that sounds right. On closer inspection, you notice that every couple of shelves is a smaller sign "barbecues", "soups", "A-z by country" Ah-ha!!!! a,b,c,d,e,f - French cookery.
You take the initiative - you read the titles and author's names on the spines of the books - OK sorry, getting a bit controversial there. But hey - you did it!
Now the alternative scenario - you walk into a traditional library. There are no signs above the shelves. On the end of each run of shelving, you notice an array of numbers (340-385, 610-649 etc.) You walk further and may notice a decrepid poster filled with a list of these numbers and what they mean, written in arcane language. (If you're a kid, your poster may have a jungle theme but the language will be the same).
OK - you say - I get it, there's some sort of coded system in play here! But, I'm an intelligent human so I can work it out. Right, let's see:
000 - computers, information and general works (nope)
100 - philosophy and psychology (nope)
200 - religion (well Delia's a bit fanatical about eggs but...nope)
300 - social sciences (don't think so)
400 - language (non!)
500 - science (erm, no)
600 - technology (nope)
700 - arts and recreation (ah-ha! The culinary arts! Recreational activity - sounds good, just finish checking)
800 - Literature (nah!)
900 - History and geography (no - hee-hee! I've cracked it, now, off to find the 700 section!)
time passes.
slowly.
Give up.
Go home or ask the code master.
Of course 641.5944!! "Utilising the sciences to harness the natural world and it's resources for the benefit of mankind" = Cookery! Silly me.
By the way - helpful tip, when you do get to it, if you do get to it, hope there's not too may books on French cookery, because chances are, you won't be able to identify the book you want behind all the spine labels.
There ends today's anti-Dewey rant.
Monday, 29 October 2007
Reading...
Recently finished The World Without Us by Alan Wiseman.
A great book - coming to a library near you soon!
A great book - coming to a library near you soon!
Hooray, hooray it's Gorseinon Lib-ra-ay!
More information about the Gorseinon refurbishment is available on the Designing Libraries website and on the website of the Welsh Assembly Government.
Apparantly there were 3000 visitors in the first week alone - great stuff!
Apparantly there were 3000 visitors in the first week alone - great stuff!
Thursday, 25 October 2007
Gorseinon Library
The refurbishment of Gorseinon Library is now complete and it opened last Saturday to great acclaim. You can read about it here (complete with dreaded "bookworm" reference) but pictures are always better - aren't they?
Monday, 22 October 2007
Central library - peek inside...
Follow this link for a short film (yes, film!!) of the inside of the new Central library as it looks now.
Click here for the article and follow the link entitled "click here for a video tour of the new library" which is under external links just below the picture.
My esteemed colleague was very brave and had to talk with no preparation. She did of course mean "customer service desks" and not "counters"...
Click here for the article and follow the link entitled "click here for a video tour of the new library" which is under external links just below the picture.
My esteemed colleague was very brave and had to talk with no preparation. She did of course mean "customer service desks" and not "counters"...
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Next please!
Apologies for my absence in recent weeks - just goes to prove that unlike some other blogs, this one is written by me, Paige Turner and me alone, not a group of people posing under a ridiculous made up name.
Anyway, it's interview-tastic this week in library land as we sift and sort our way through the nearly 500 applicants who want to come and work in the new library!
(I told you the Charlie's Angels recruitment campaign would work!)
Lots of excellent people to talk to - looks like we will be spoilt for choice.
Anyway, it's interview-tastic this week in library land as we sift and sort our way through the nearly 500 applicants who want to come and work in the new library!
(I told you the Charlie's Angels recruitment campaign would work!)
Lots of excellent people to talk to - looks like we will be spoilt for choice.
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