1 Comment

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  Linda Reimer - 11 years ago

  I am swamped today (so what else is new?) but I had to type up a quick comment.
  If you’re looking for a candidate to work in a public library then that absolutely have to have two things above all others:

  1. They have to be able to connect and talk to other people without being shy or exceptionally reserved and 2. They have to be able to be flexible.

  Candidate 1 sounds like a person who likes to work by the rules to the letter without variation and who doesn’t care to engage other people more than is strictly necessary so I’d hire candidate 2 because you can teach candidate 2 all the ins and outs of the job but candidate seem to have a personality that is too reserved and not outgoing enough to talk to patrons.

  And as far as following rules to a T – in a public library setting – you do have to be flexible because your library exists to provide materials and services to the local community who in turn support that library via donations and taxes. So keeping that positive PR out that and offer patrons excellent service is a must and if you are too inflexible that is not a good thing. For example, say you have a patron that has just come in with 10 overdue DVD that were due two weeks ago and overdue fees are the maximum of $50. The patron tells you she just had a baby – that is why the DVDs are late and she has the baby with her and three other little ones. What do you do? Do you tell her tough luck – you own the money? Or are you flexible; and instead tell her you are making an exception to the rule and clearing her $50 worth of overdue DVD fines – and smiling and offering her congratulations on the new baby?
  I’d go with option 2 myself! Make an exception to a rule if it benefits a patron as long the patron hasn’t consistently proved that he or she isn’t being straight with you (i.e. the 10th claims returned item this year on his or her card, someone who always is a week late in returning their DVDs no matter what etc.)

  Of course mine is a public library perspective! I imagine customer service is a bit different in an academic library.

  And as my 3 PM tech appointment is here – I have to go now!