I Don't Like Libraries--Thoughts from a Soon To Be Librarian

I needed to visit my local library for some children’s books for church. This is an experience that is like flipping a coin. Sometimes it is great and others it is not so great. I can go to a library and staff will be there that are interested in helping me and understand why a person who can’t read regular print needs help finding what they are looking for.
Then I can go to a library where they are low staffed, using volunteers, busy and not really interested in helping me or seemingly have no enthusiasm. I really enjoy the idea of finding books on my own and I start out trying to be independent and then frustration sets in. I can read the big section signs but I can’t read the spines of the books to see the author or call number. Heck, I didn't know, until I started library school that every subject had specific numbers so that in any library you can find the books on a specific subject. This is still somewhat of a mystery to me but I am guessing when I take 616 in the fall it will become crystal clear.
Because I go to a regular print library so sparingly things change every time I am there. I first asked if the computer still has adaptive technology (AT) and the lady says she doesn’t know. Then that computer had a patron using it so I couldn’t even find out if it had AT. Then I ask another person behind the desk if they have children’s books on forgiveness and she does a quick search and comes up with nothing. So I go browse……nothing in the religion section….nothing in the activity section…..then I decided to go to the catalog in regular print and do a couple of quick searches myself. Because of my low vision I can only do this for a little while before it gives me a big headache. Had I been thinking about it I should have done a search at home with my own AT before I left and known exactly what I wanted and then had someone help me.
The good news is that there was a list of books about treating kids kindly and I searched for some of the books myself. It is hard to see the small print and I felt inadequate. However, when I asked for help the person behind the desk followed the same steps that I did and she couldn’t find them either. The catalog said that they were there but they were not on the shelves. This made me feel better.
I say this all in this blog not so that you will feel sorry for me but so that you will recognize someone who needs help and so that I will help myself before I go!!