Getting Carded

Sitting here on the perch, I naturally get asked a lot of questions.  Many questions are one-of-a-kind questions that keep me on my toes, and many are repetitive.  "Where is the bathroom?"  "What are your hours?"  "Do you send faxes?"  These are standard "EPQs" or "ever popular questions," as I like to call them, and I'm happy to assist my patrons with them no matter how many times I need to say the same things over again in a day.  One thing I do get tired of saying repeatedly is, "Can I see your library card, please?"

Unless you have never been to a lending library before, it should be a given that if you're borrowing items, you need to show your library card at the circulation desk so those items can be put on your account.  You might be surprised to know that the majority of patrons checking out items place their items on the desk and just stand there until I ask to see their library card.  Sometimes, patrons have their cards in their hands and will not relinquish them for dear life until I promise them that I will return it to them in a moment.

Maybe I'm just a crazy perch librarian, but to me, going to a library circulation desk and not automatically presenting your library card is like going to a store and not giving money to the cashier.  Imagine the following scenario--Cashier: "That will be $5.25. [The customer stands and does nothing.] Can I have the money, please?"  Seems a little ridiculous, doesn't it?

So, continuing our discussion on library etiquette, one thing you should bear in mind in the library when you're planning to check some items out is to "get carded"--present your library card at the circulation desk.  Your friendly, neighborhood perch librarian would really appreciate it and thank you kindly for remembering.

Ever politely yours from the perch.

Library Etiquette

Although many of us have been going to the library since we've been old enough to crawl, it has come to my attention on the perch that a number of patrons have forgotten some basic library etiquette.  To those of you who already practice good manners in the library, I extend a heartfelt thank you.  To those of you who need a refresher course, here it is:

• Shhh!  Talk quietly.  It's the golden rule of libraries.  People are reading, studying, or working and come to the library for some peace and quiet.  If you do need to talk, please use one of our study rooms.
• Don't use your cell phone.  People tend to speak loudly on cell phones, disturbing others.  If you need to take or make a call, please do so outside of the library or in areas designated for talking.
• Take screaming children outside.  We love kids, but if your little ones are screaming or throwing tantrums, please be considerate of others and take them outside the library to calm them.
• Push in your chair.  If you're working at the computer or at a table, please be kind and push in your chair when you leave.  Everyone likes to see the library neat and orderly.
• Don't run.  This probably applies more to kids than to adults (most of the time), but running makes noise not to mention puts people at risk of getting hurt.  Please save your running for the great outdoors.
• Don't eat or drink by the computers.  You may like that savory sandwich or that delectable drink, but electronics don't.  Please consume your food and drinks away from the computers.
• Use complete sentences.  I know that texting has made communicating more economical, but it's still nice to hear questions in full sentences rather than as one word barked.  Please avoid speaking like a Neanderthal.
• Say please and thank you.  You learned these terms at home and in school.  They may be old, but they're never old-fashioned.

I'm sure there are other points of library etiquette that I may have missed, and if this is the case, you can expect another post on etiquette to follow this one in the future.  For now, we'll just focus on the basic ones mentioned above.

So please remember to mind your manners in order to permit everyone to enjoy the library the way it was meant to be.

Prim and properly yours from the perch.