Category: libraries

I don’t really know what to make of this news article, except that a lot of people sent it to me. In Seattle it was easier to deal with patrons who smelled because there was a place where homeless people could take showers right up the road. You could refer people there if they had odors that bothered others. I think this quote is the telling one.

A strict code of conduct, officials argue, is needed to ensure one patron’s right to use a public library doesn’t infringe on the rights of another.

Maybe it’s just me, but after reading this article, doesn’t this seem like what they meant to say:

A strict code of conduct, officials argue, is needed to ensure one normal patron’s right to use a public library doesn’t infringe on the rights of another not-normal patron. [emphasis mine, of course]

I have this to say about smelliness. I was in a bad car accident a few years ago and was taken to the hospital. I had been on my way back from camping and was neither looking nor smelling my best. I was not planning on getting in an accident. When I was released [and I was fine, thanks for asking] I got my records from the hospital and they noted my appearance as “tattooed, unshaven, smelly.” Not “unwashed” but “smelly.” I can’t help thinking, as I did then, whether this observation affected the quality of my care.

One of the high points of ALA Midwinter was meeting Rick Prelinger who I had been swapping email with for a while. He runs one of my favorite quirky archives/libraries in San Francisco. Eli dropped by for a visit this week and discusses what she saw there.

Okay, you should sit down now. Take a few deep breaths. Have a bit of vinegar handy to wave in front of your nose. Ready? There’s no catalog. There’s no call number system of classification. There’s not even rigorously enforced alphabetization of titles (or authors) within sections. It’s deliberate and there’s a philosophy behind it.

I’m not sure if I would call Dear Abby “the best opinions in the universe” but she’s right on when she says that the reference librarian has no obligation to assist a patron who wouldn’t get off his cell phone to talk with her. We have many patrons with cell phones in our library and a fairly loose policy that states that if your cell phone is disturbing other patrons you may be asked to take it outside into the lobby. I’m becoming the master of saying “Hi, if you’re going to be a while, would you mind taking your conversation out to the lobby? Thank you!” and it’s worked fine for me, but I know other staffers are more timid about approaching patrons who are being noisy on their phones. In our library, it’s just an extension of the “please don’t be noisy” policy which we have most places except the children’s area and upstairs in the classroom. LISNews folks discuss the issue a bit more.

A long but worthwhile article on where libraries are going with some reflections on where they’ve been.

Hey it’s one of those great weird library basement discoveries, but it’s in the basement of my own local library! Not quite the Declaration of Independence, but a fascinating look into my town’s past.