Sometimes the library is just the place to be. People are sitting and reading. Some of them are reading magazines, others are looking at the screen. They are reserving books and checking to see when their request might be in. Many, many people have just gotten devices as holiday gifts and are entering the world of downloadable ebooks and audiobooks. They are still coming in to the library to find out what all the hoopla is all about.
"I downloaded this book for my mp3 player, but now I have a kindle. What do I do?"
"My computer literally burned out. Do you have a laptop I can borrow?"
A woman whispers, "I've never used the internet before. I'm so embarassed. Can you help me?"
Someone is hoping to read the book that they just read about in the Boston Globe.
One of our jobs here in the library is to help people find what they are looking for in various formats. We serve ourselves and our customers best when we keep the faith and learn how to teach the formats to our hopeful users. Of course, yesterday, I had to ask my son to show me how to register my new ipod nano....Hey, it gave him an opportunity to be a teacher and that's not a bad thing!
We teach our customers and they teach us. They show us what it is that we can do to help them. They teach us what we need to become in this digital environment. We help them on their way.
Not to mention the museum passes.....and on a holiday week, they are a high demand item!
One of the joys of being a librarian is that, in order to be our best, we need to keep learning along with our users. Some moments are bumpier than others.....like when the person can't get the tax forms in hard copy because we don't have them yet. And they simply don't want the online version.....Still, I wouldn't trade it....Even on the days when I'm limping and need to recharge....hey, maybe I can plug me into the laptop next to my ipod nano!
"I downloaded this book for my mp3 player, but now I have a kindle. What do I do?"
"My computer literally burned out. Do you have a laptop I can borrow?"
A woman whispers, "I've never used the internet before. I'm so embarassed. Can you help me?"
Someone is hoping to read the book that they just read about in the Boston Globe.
One of our jobs here in the library is to help people find what they are looking for in various formats. We serve ourselves and our customers best when we keep the faith and learn how to teach the formats to our hopeful users. Of course, yesterday, I had to ask my son to show me how to register my new ipod nano....Hey, it gave him an opportunity to be a teacher and that's not a bad thing!
We teach our customers and they teach us. They show us what it is that we can do to help them. They teach us what we need to become in this digital environment. We help them on their way.
Not to mention the museum passes.....and on a holiday week, they are a high demand item!
One of the joys of being a librarian is that, in order to be our best, we need to keep learning along with our users. Some moments are bumpier than others.....like when the person can't get the tax forms in hard copy because we don't have them yet. And they simply don't want the online version.....Still, I wouldn't trade it....Even on the days when I'm limping and need to recharge....hey, maybe I can plug me into the laptop next to my ipod nano!
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