Monday, September 18, 2006

Libraries

I have now been to two branches of the Seattle Public Library system and a half-dozen or so branches of the University of Washington Libraries system.

I am quite impressed by the overall SPL system, particularly their automated systems--I love their online library card application, their computer sign-up, their RFID self-checkout (you just place a stack of books on the counter and it scans them all in, no barcode necessary), their request/retrieval setup (I requested a book from another branch and had it delivered within a day or two), and their other automated forms (I suggested a book for purchase the other day without having to talk to a single human being) --but I'm not overly impressed by the branches themselves. Both branches were small and cramped, and didn't seem to have a whole lot of anything. That said, I happened upon a couple of great books as I browsed at each branch, and the University Branch had two or three Veggietales DVDs in that S-Boogie had not seen before. I'm anxious to see the Central Library, as I've heard so much about it. I've definitely decided, though, that if I end up working in a branch system then I need to work in the main branch. What's the point of working at a library if you only have a few thousand books to browse through?

Which brings me to the library I am working at, the main UW library. Wow. No, wait, that "wow" deserves its own paragraph.

Wow.

The library is beautiful, enormous, and, most importantly, filled with books. I don't know exactly how many my library has, but the UW Libraries system altogether has more than 6 million volumes. The thought of helping patrons wade through all that, in addition to all the non-print sources, is rather overwhelming, but also thrilling. I'm excited to see how academic librarianship compares to the public sphere. We'll see if I like it enough to allow the monetary benefits of working in an academic library overcome the socialistic tendencies (stealing a friend's words) that led me to fall in love with public libraries.

But really, who wouldn't want to work in this building?

7 comments:

  1. Is this really the library??? It looks like a cathedral. Which is very cool since I tend to have great reverence for the printed word bound into those neat little portable bundles called books.
    Yes---WOW---is an appropriate response. Can't wait to see it in person. Monday-09/23/06. (!!) Just booked a flight. (!!)

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  2. This is the scariest building in the world. From the outside.

    The inside is reassuringly ghetto.

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  3. I echo Miss Hass. Our library looks like a giant Triscuit with growths.

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  4. It is truly abominable. And there are no windows above the 3rd floor. As if all you want to do when you study is stare at cinderblock walls and linoleum floors. Seriously?

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