From a KC Librarian

Just an average guy trying to make sense of his life in the library and beyond.....

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Oh that Dewey...

This week's Unshelved strip strikes home with me. The computer lab incorporated the self-check system last June and our circulation department is in the process of implementing a self-check-out machine soon.





Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Has another librarian taken up walking???

The librarian in Virginia writes of her and her husbands' interest in a walking routine.

Case of the toilet paper bandit

I'm not joking when I write this but....somebody is stealing toilet paper from our public library's restrooms.

Mama Bear

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.......

Week of Computer Challenges in the Library

The past few days have been interesting in terms of computers in the library. This past Saturday, electrical power was cut off from our servers at the downtown computer services building. As such, we had no Internet all day Saturday and had to operate on backup circulation. At the ref desk, we had to offer our best guesses while answering questions and traditional services like ILL and our electronic database areas were not available. In the computer lab, the associate only had 17 people use the computers for word processing, spreadsheets, etc. She had to decline requests for Internet services for 92 patrons. Saturday was a tough, tedious day to work. We were back to full services on Sunday.
Today, we received an upgrade in our access management software for the computer lab. The first version was installed on June 25th. However, coding in the software could not deal with Young Adult/Juvenile cards that were put on the waiting lists for a computer and the software could not deal with patron cards that showed revoked computer privileges. I worked the lab this morning for two hours to see how the new software would take. It seems to work like a charm (knock on wood). To be honest, it has been frustrating times since the software has been installed. But my lab associates have been crafty enough to deal with all the quirks and hic-cups the old software has set forth. Hopefully the new upgrade will provide some relief from all the pressures the old software brought. And we need that relief. Our computer lab leads our system in usage-averaging 50 percent of the entire usage for our four branches.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

My walking route...

One of my walking routes has been taken away from me. With the coming of the new Best Buy, Home Depot, JC Penney, and Target, the construction crew is rebuilding Ambassador Road to probably accommodate the traffic that will come.
In the meantime, I will have to find other routes to walk and use the treadmill more frequently.

A Change in library personnel

This is our first week without Spiny the Elder. He started his new position down at Tech Services. He will be sorely missed around West Wyandotte. But....'twas his decision to make and we move on.
In the meantime, there is a possibility that we may get another security guard (parttime) for the library. After weekend events, we probably need the second person.
Also, the Giant Rat's position is now filled. VL started two and a half weeks ago.

On a twist of a phrase by Samuel Clemens....

....the reports of my blogging death have been greatly exaggerated. It's a matter of finding time and information worth posting, of course.