Both of these are from the current (9/1/07) issue of Library Journal.
“While there are many problems in the world, people using the library too much really isn’t one of them.”
Jamie LaRue, Director, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO.
“Experience has taught me: some people, most of them in fact, shouldn’t work at a reference desk. If you aren’t dying to help, you’re killing the library.”
Michael McGrorty, on publib, 8/8/07
I would like to add to Michael’s quote that it isn’t just the reference desk it is the help or circulation desks too. It seems that there are many people working in libraries that don’t enjoy interacting with the public. With the move towards more automation, library jobs are changing, library staff are moving out from behind the circulation desk into the library itself and the goal is to go out and help the customer. Being out on the floor requires a different set of skills than remaining behind the desk and it is the responsiblity of library administration to provide training for these new skills and to hire accordingly.
Mindy
