First, the good…read more
This a newer, beautiful facility that's easy to navigate. My 7yo still likes to come in and do the scavenger hunt. Books that I request usually arrive pretty quickly, and having a library van drop books on my front door is absolutely spectacular. The library summer reading challenge has been a great way to show readers how to access resources like audiobooks, e-books, Library of Things, and research portals that many of us don't even know exist.
Now, the ugly. I have two issues.
First, I assume the collection is based on what patrons request and what circulates. If it is a reflection of our culture's tastes, it's saddening. There is so much poor quality, tasteless literature in this library collection, especially the YA section. If I'm looking for a classic, it usually gets shipped in from a library outside of Dundee. It makes me sad that our taste in literature is so trashy that we don't even carry high-quality, enduring classics (especially children's classics) at this location. I am not a book burner. I do not favor censorship or banning books. But I DO want high quality literature for my family. That isn't visible amongst the junk and the twaddle.
The other issue is the fact that, consistently, when I walk into the library, whether I'm alone or with my kids (who do behave), not only are we NOT greeted, but no one even makes eye contact. There are two librarians that are friendly, but I rarely see them. The librarians that are usually there do not look up, do not smile, do not say a word when we walk in. If we need help with something and approach them, I get the impression that we're interrupting whatever it was that they were doing.
Please, librarians. You WANT citizens to want to come to your facility. It has so much to offer. It is a wealth of resources for the unemployed, for researchers, for the curious, for kids, for anyone looking for information (and knowledge -- and maybe even wisdom). Please act like those people are actually welcome.
Please, administration, be more discerning when you hire and train your staff. Please hire people who love their neighbor, who want to help, who approach patrons, who want to form relationships with local families looking for good books, who are excited about story time and read-alouds, who love kids.
