(no subject)

[butterbobbin]

Oh, and while I'm in Deep Thoughts mode, here's a query for you librarians.

How do YOU view the self-checkout machines?

Do they open up your time more? Do you regret the lack of personal interaction with the patrons?

I'm asking because I'm torn. I like the personal interaction, but I also am well aware that keeping up with library duties (or any work duties, really) is difficult to accomplish with constant interruptions.

Comments

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

We got very close to purchasing one, and I HATE the idea. At least for my library. Yeah, we're a busy place, but nothing like a big city library where the circ desks actually have consistent lines ... in such a case, I can see having the self-check option could provide better service. For us, I felt like it would only rob me of the ability to interact with and get to know what my patrons are reading (this helps me tremendously when it comes to doing reader's advisory). And also, a lot of people won't come up and ASK questions or ask for suggestions, and it's something that I can work into the checkout process.

Then too, I felt like it would take more of my time to go over and help all the technically challenged people figure out how to use the machine than it would to just check them out personally!

So. Not a fan.

[butterbobbin.livejournal.com]

Re: technically challenged.

When the lady helped me the machine was having difficulty even scanning the card. We were both like, "OK! This is really working!"

And I'm not technically challenged. It is machines that are flaky that, I believe, are the cause of so many old inflexible people convincing themselves they "can't do technology".

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

A lot of those things are just NOT designed logically. I hate using the self-checks at places like Wal-Mart for that very reason. Give me a real person, even if I have to wait in line. =P

[butterbobbin.livejournal.com]

We have the same problem with self-checkout. There's a reason they have to man the self-checkout. Which, you know, seems to totally defeat the purpose.

[ruthette.livejournal.com]

I'm not a librarian but I like having the option to skip the line. If there's no line, I check out with a librarian, but we have a HUGE retired population around here, and most of the older folk are bored and chatty, making for VERY long waits at the library.

[butterbobbin.livejournal.com]

True, true. There is nothing like waiting behind ten chatty retired folks.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Also, you've got it right on the dealing-with-interruptions thing (I estimate I get, on average, 90 second-uninterrupted stretches, if that, to work on projects.

HOWEVER, my primary job is one of customer service. I view interacting with people as my main responsibility, and everything else is more secondary (although realistically, it all has to get done somehow, but then again, we're all magicians who just Somehow Make It Happen. They hand out magic skillz in the back room every morning.)

[butterbobbin.livejournal.com]

See, that's kind of my logic too. At the fabric store, there's never an end to what can be done, but the customers have to come first, and that was by far my favourite part of the job. (Register did not count. I hated the register work.) It was fun to hear about their plans, see what the trends were, and learn about new things that I could recommend to other people doing similar projects.

I think that was a large part of why I hated my sign shop job so much. The production room was grand if we were busy, but if we weren't busy (as in wintertime), I got booted out of production to do "customer service". For customers who weren't coming in. And the atmosphere was one of sheer boredom because there literally WASN'T anything to do. I think the interaction is necessary in any job, and interruptions keep you from [shock!horror] Running Out of Things to Do!!

[misspennycarrol.livejournal.com]

I love the self checking machine at uni. The librarians there always make it seem like you are taking up their valuable time when you go to the desk to borrow books. Generally you have to wait for them too. The self checking machine is so much quicker and easier.

I wish they had one at Maitland Library too. I always feel like I am being judged by what I borrow. I read a wide variety of stuff, and sometime it is not so high brow. All the librarians there are ooold though, and they are heavily judgemental people who sniff at young people and their book choices.

So in conclusion, it all depends on the staff.