An older gentleman came into the library today, feeling somewhat leery of the computers and the Internet in general. He asked if the computers had ejection seats if he did anything wrong, and in my mind’s eye I imagined the library full of computers and the occasional explosion as patrons went flying. Of course, when I finished chuckling, I walked him through the process of signing onto the computer, and how to find things on the Internet.
We have no plans to install ejection seats at our computers, entertaining though the idea is. We do plan on a major change at the end of March, however: a new catalog system. Our current catalog system is 20 years old, which in computer years means it comes from practically the Stone Age. The new system from Polaris will make it easier to find what you’re looking for, give you more spelling help (like Google and Amazon.com do), and give you more control of your holds. We are all very excited about it, and hope you will like the improvements, too. We are spending the next month making sure we know the new system, and it looks like the changeover will happen during the last week of March. We won’t be able to do some things that changeover week, but then we should be up and running. We ask that you bear with us as we make the change; both during the changeover week, and afterwards as you get used to the new system.
An hour later, the gentleman came back with more questions. And I could happily tell him that yes, he could bring his laptop in and he could get both electricity and a connection to the Internet. And we won’t have any ejection seats. Guaranteed.
-Kathy
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Actually, I thought of another use for ejection seats: to remind us chronic computer-users to stand and stretch periodically!
ReplyDeleteEjection seats...what a great idea for saving unneccesary steps! We could finish our computer session, press a button and it's a quick trip to the door. Perhaps I'll should check out "Fear of Flying: Effective Strategies To Get You Where You Need to Go" by Duane Brown to see if the use of ejection seats is covered there. Love your humor!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of them to use in those instances when a customer's time is up, yet they delay leaving in the hopes that the next reservation gets deleted because that person didn't sign on during those few minutes that reservations are valid. (Now I sound like a grumpy librarian...hopefully I won't start saying "Shhhhh!")
ReplyDeleteAs long as the new system isn't anything like what was installed for the Seattle Library - which stinks. It was so much easier to find items with their old system, though now it's much more difficult.
ReplyDelete