breakfast first

SFPL going about it from the wrong direction

Today I received an email message from the SFPL letting me know that I book I have checked out is overdue by ten days.

My first thought was: why did they wait ten days? This isn't like a paper notice. There's no cost associated with sending it, so there's no advantage to delaying. Why wasn't email sent out immediately after closing time on the day it was due?

My second thougth was: since a goal of libraries is to have as many items available in the library at any time, and since overdue materials is a rampant problem in America's public libraries, why not send a friendly reminder notice to me a week before the book is due? I would have really appreciated it, and they would have had the materials back on time.

I'm certainly no expert on the topic, but I'm constantly distressed at the feature gap between the web software that libraries use and sites such as Amazon. Library software is lacking both in the small details (such as with reminder mail, as described above), and in bigger things, such as fostering community (why not let patrons review books? Who are the top 100 reviewers in your community?).

Basically what I'm getting at is that no one has their public library set as their homepage, and that's a shame.

People love that new Seattle main library

Here's a brief vignette about one particularly excited patron and his, uh, public outreach program.

(via librarian.net)

"Uh, your ward?"

Cinnamon, over at foxylibrarians, had a really creepy phone call at the reference desk. Hmmm...maybe it was California's Secretary of EducationRichard Riordan on the phone?