Hi all
A long term lurker I thought I would finally post and hopefully be able to answer any questions on public libraries have been one for over 30 years. I’m also highly skilled in the digital world that public libraries inhabit. Currently recovering from a bad car accident but have enjoyed OzBargain and got some good deals so thank you.
How many of you use your local public library ?
Ask away.
You'd think one of the skills a librarian requires is knowing how to research …
Guess that's why they're on ozbargain?
Thank goodness ChiMot isn't a librarian.
If you want to become a librarian when I started zenith and one umbrella were Library agencies you started temp jobs till you gained experience and expanded contacts- job placements during TAFE and university will 95% never lead to a job. You usually have to work your way up from shelver… if your wanting to work in universities build up your programming and data skills - a lot of metadata work. If you want to work in public libraries- know current popular books for book clubs and kids reading.. and great general knowledge of computers and databases
Hi
I’m not familiar with the NSW Environment. Library jobs are hard to get as we love what we do and turnover of librarians ie those changing jobs does not happen as often as it may in other environments. A suggestion if you are looking for work in the local library see if your local council website has an option to sign up to be notified when a new job is posted to the council website. Agencies are another option..
Why do library cards expire?
so they know how many members are current, and have up to date addresses?
Why isn’t the expiry date on the card, then? I went to the library once after some years of not going, and I didn’t know it expired until I tried to borrow some books …
no idea , i odnt think its a highky regulated industry, so each library does what they want
@kerfuffle: you ommitted the lack of expiry date on the card in your first statement, hence why i didnt answer it
@Donaldhump: Because library cards haven't had expiry dates on them as someone who's had a library card (from the cardboard laminated type to the plastic ones of today) for 22 years …
I'm asking the OP why library cards expire, not you (unless you also happen to be a librarian, which I doubt), however thanks for attempting to answer the question
@kerfuffle: you asked "Why do library cards expire?"
i answered and i don't know for sure but have an opinion.
you didnt say "Why do library cards expire, also why do they no have expiry dates on them?
how can i answer the 2nd part of the question when you never asked it
@kerfuffle: well forgive me for answering and trying to help.
either way tyhe OP will also need the full question, otherwise its de ja vu
@Donaldhump: You did help, hence my thanks. Then you started getting aggressive just because there were other bits to the question …
Can definitely tell you're not a librarian; you'd bust a vein if you were
dynamic date based on inactivity
There are a couple of reasons I know of
And that last bit is why they aren't printed on the cards.
Hope you're recovering well :)
Becoming a librarian was my wife's dream job when she was little.Do you like your job? Was it your dream job too?
my wife dreamed of marrying someone rich, oh well, nice to dream
May her dream come true…Oh, wait!:b
Do you have personal insurance ;)
Hi jar jar
I have never wanted to be anything but a librarian starting of at schools spending lunchtimes in the library
Which do you prefer, the smell of new or old books?
An interest question there is certainly a distinct smell about old books. I don’t have an opinion either way
Welp, this is about as good as this AMA is going to get.
As a parent to young kids, the library is one of the best places to take your kid. A 10min walk there, borrow books and spend about 30-40mins there, walk to the local cafe and then home has become pretty much a weekly activity for our family
Our local library, most of them know my kids names and they always give them stamps, and there's always arts and crafts for them to do
This! My youngest gave me a bookmark with a cute little pompom attached to it for Father's Day.They were both art projects we made together at the local library. Not only was it a sweet reminder of how much we've bonded since I've become a part-time stay-at-home dad, but the excitement on his face when he raced his siblings down the stairs , jumped on my bed and shoved it in my face, singing Happy birthday, was priceless😊
Do you prefer the Dewey Decimal System or the Library of Congress System?
What's the weirdest thing you've found in a library book?
Dewey works well for libraries and has since its inception. I think we will start to see different ways of presenting the collection so whilst in the library you will be discovering parts of the library collection that you may not have been aware of and who knows you may head off in a new direction reading wise
Who decides what books to get? My local library used to have lots of business books now they are all gone.
How are library resources selected
Every library would normally have something like a collection development policy which sets out what is collected and why and what is not collected.
Community profiles and demographics of the community the libraries serve are core to making it right. Borrower requests to purchase are also factored in as well
Usually decided by a policy, eg if book is over X years old and hasn't been borrowed for Y years … then it's removed from shelves and offered to members for free
Is the library investigator's name actually, Bookman?
Not that there is anything wrong with that.
You think this is all a big joke, don't you?
what is something we would not expect about the library?
something scandalous preferably.
A porn movie, starring a famous pornstar, was filmed at my university Library.
Oh ! I love Angela White’s movies! She was fantastic in BLACKED
@jackinyourbox: I graduated before the incident. My wife has met her years later though,while they were both doing a postgrad at Melb uni. She said Angie's wit and intelligence were unexpected and refreshing.
And no, I've never seen anything she's been in. Would be weird😲
Edit:I lied. I've seen the one where she cries, with Manuel Ferrara, with whom I also have less than 6 degrees of separation. She seems too real to be in porn.
@[Deactivated]: I’ve never met her before but there are a few actresses which are quite intelligent. The most notable is Asia Carrera who has an IQ of over 150
@bmerigan: I've looked her up. Her real name is Jessica Steinhauser. She was arrested for DUI in 2016 and the article says that she is a card-carrying member of Mensa. Easy enough to check if her subscription is up to date. She's not in the Australian members list but that's to be expected. If someone has access to the US one….
P.s: It's crazy how hairstyle can make such a huge difference…😮
@[Deactivated]: Just to clarify, I didn't watch the whole movie of her with Manuel. Just at the end where she was crying, which was on some porn site and someone was talking about it at work. That was shortly after my wife and her graduated from uni,both with first class honours, and her name rang a bell.
Not too sure who Asia Carrera is. I've been happily married for a long time and don't watch porn :) An IQ of 150 is impressive though.
@[Deactivated]: Fair enough, it’s only really her stage name. I’m not quite sure what her real name is.
She was one of the early 90’s high mileage Asian stars that ended up in the MILF genre prior to her retirement.
Perfectly understandable. Many years ago i momentarily visited the Roo Paddock Library, i mean LaTrobe Univerity Library, and apart from whittling there was frankly little else to while away the time….
@[Deactivated]: I have fond memories of LTU. I met my wife there, on a bar night at the Eagle. We used to park where the old mental asylum was and spend hours talking to each other, much to the disapproval of her boyfriend at the time. He and his mates tried to assault me in front of that library.
Like I said, fond memories :)
My time at Melb uni was less memorable.
Are their any resources you're aware of, that alot people aren't?
Things like this website, which searches all public libraries instead of going district by district.
On the more fun side of things, have you ever found something strange left in a book? Like weird notes or drawings or money?
Wiki said she once found a tissue in one of those bodice-ripping novels in the adult section of the library. She reckoned someone must have used it as a bookmark. Yeah, nah…
I found a lipstick kiss and $20 (on separate occasions) in the Baby-Sitters Clubs books I read as a kid
Hi outlander
That site you refer to is specific to Victorian libraries and other states often have similar discovery portals
A better tool you may want to explore is trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/ which is the National database. Many libraries across Australia contribute their holdings to the database for the benefit of the nation. If your library does not have a title you may find it on trove and it will tell you what libraries hold it. You can then pass this information to your local library and request an inter-library loan.
It surprises me some times that people don’t regularly check out the local library website to see what is new in books video etc as well as what programs are coming up that they may like
Edit: It looks like OP beat me while I was typing this :)
Trove is a better resource than LLV, it's not always up to date though as libraries will withdraw/replace items and it takes a while for Trove to get that updated catalogue data.
For an international version there is WorldCat which will search libraries all over the world.
Many libraries have free movie streaming through Kanopy, Beamafilm or Overdrive Video. Most libraries will limit you from watching more than 6-12 movies on Kanopy per month, but you can sign up as a member for as many libraries you want and then add all of your library cards to Kanopy to get extra credits. You can search the Kanopy website and see if your library takes part.
Libraries also have Audiobooks (aka Talking Books) and E-book services such as Borrowbox, Libby (Overdrive) etc. People always suggest them as alternatives to paid services like Audible but I find they don't always have what I want.
The most important thing people don't understand about libraries is that you can request items. If the library doesn't have the book, DVD, videogame etc. you want then you can make a purchase suggestion. Whether or not they buy it will depend on their selection criteria (basically rules which state what their collection includes) and budget. I find certain libraries in major cities to generally accept anything, whereas rural libraries are a bit more picky at times. Sometimes they'll say yes as they want more people using the library, but other times they'll say no as they don't want to buy something only one person will ever use. It's tricky.
Ok folks let’s try and answer the questions as best can
It’s always been my dream job librarians love what they do we get opportunities to expose our communities to knew technologies, new resources and programs like tech savvy seniors which is a brilliant way of starting seniors on their technology journey. Every day is different I’m not interested in why you want something but it is my job to help you find what you need.
How are library resources selected
Every library would normally have something like a collection development policy which sets out what is collected and why and what is not collected.
Community profiles and demographics of the community the libraries serve are core to making it right. Borrower requests to purchase are also factored in as well
You would be surprised at what is found as a very naive young librarian in my first job over 40 years ago someone left a condom in the shelves and no it thank god was not used
Please press Reply under the comment you are responding to
Hard to believe an information expert can not find the Reply button.
This comment later deemed inappropriate and removed
I had a philosophy professor who used to say : "Auto-censorship is like auto-fellation: just because you can do it, doesn't mean you want to… "
I once officiated at a kick-boxing match between Marx and Durkheim. I gave it to Durkheim by knockout.
@[Deactivated]: But how good would Marx's sledges have been? "Yo mama is so classless, she's a marxist utopia!" Bang! 😂
No offence to Yo Mama, obviously. I'm sure she's a lovely, classy lady :)
It surprises me how many people think it’s still just about books and say they haven’t been to a library since school days or I get everything of the net.
In queensland for example public libraries provide access to a streaming movie service called Kanopy I suspect it’s available in other states as well.
Ebooks, Eaudio books and popular magazines in digital form to name But some are also there as well as books
Guess what it’s all free it just requires you to join your local library
What does your job as a librarian actually involve doing?
What do you think about the future of libraries as they are currently run in Australia? It's pretty clear that the numbers at my local library have fallen significantly since (say) the 1990's. The carpark used to always be full, there were always kids browsing the books, plenty of magazines to look at…etc. I've seen libraries trying to adapt and offer digital services, do you think these are successful?
Let me try and answer your question about the future. Everyone assumes library numbers are falling which is the furthest thing from the truth.
For example did you know in nsw there are more public library locations than McDonald’s. You will find many large libraries will issue a million loans and it’s not just books our digital services providing free online access to many digital services. Digital services are booming BorrowBox for example is an Australian owned digital service offering the latest ebooks and eaudio files.
We are available 24/7 in the digital environment however in saying that books are core to what we do and will always be there. We do outreach services like delivering books to the housebound and elderly. Libraries run brilliant story times for little ones. These are just some of what you will find at your local library.
I often describe my job as balancing the best of the old with the best of the new exposing our communities to the classics, modern literature and new technologies to name but a few of what I do.
Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?
yes
OK you are hired…or you could say as long as there is a steady paycheck, I will believe in anything you want.
Welcome to the Ghostbusters lol
What are your formal qualifications?
I have a Bachelor of Arts in librarianship from the University of Canberra and a Diploma of Local Government Administration
My mate has an MLS (masters in library science) and worked briefly at the state library. He is now earning more as a tradie in the family business. All that study and time wasted. His dad and brothers' rub it in whenever they can:(
Now hang on, you're equating money with success. Are you telling me that all those philosophy classes didn't do anything for you? More likely dad and his bro's didn't know what they'd missed out on, like the Dewey System.
@[Deactivated]: I'm not. Neither was my mate. He lived his dream for a while until reality bit him hard: his mortgage repayments went up, his gf fell pregnant and his car went to car heaven. He was struggling to make ends meet.
He's still bitter about it but, being the good mate that I am, I always remind him that he was born with the kind of hairy bum cleavage that was meant to be seen and admired by all. Imagine hiding that bot-bot away under those prim and proper librarian uniforms. No, no, no! Sacrilege! 😱
I hope that brings him some comfort😀
Does your mate think it was time wasted? (Genuine question).
@Eeples: That's what he says but it's more bitterness at having had to abandon his dream than anything else. It's like OP said, librarians don't get paid as much as they should. Nowhere near what a good plumber can make anyway.
How often do you walk in on or catch somebody engaged in acts of intimacy at the library? It seemed like an epidemic a few years ago, especially with camgirls.
Whats the usual protocol when you encounter that sort of situation?
Does your library block porn sites on the internet access points that are available for public use?
I don’t want to take over this thread but where I work we do not block sites - we do have a code of conduct and since you login with a personal login account we can escalate inappropriate use and block people getting degree- once a bloke was watching kiddy porn via our wifi in public area - it was reported by another student- the police were given the log files. We usually don’t chase torrent users unless it’s excessive … if you watch streaming pirated movies or shows your more likely to get away with it - if you torrent and your sucking up gigabytes via wifi we may investigate the log files.. if you look at legal porn images you will be fine unless other people report you
What actually happens if someone doesn't return a book, or a CD etc? How do you guys actually buy the books, and CD's and stuff that you have in libraries? Is there a particular company that you use, or do you just use Amazon, or other sites like all of us?
Hi
There will be several attempts to remind the borrower via email anda message will normally pop up either at a self checkout or at the desk. It provides an opportunity to remind the borrower. Depending on individual library policies that borrower will be blocked from borrowing until the issue is sorted
Do libraries fine for overdue books ? There is a strong push to abolish fines as simply put they don’t work and will keep genuine borrowers who need their library and can’t afford the fine. I am a strong advocate for no fines given the costs involved in chasing people for very little result.. I would rather see people in their library than staying away because of fines
Thanks for the reply :)
At least one of the libraries that I borrow from has just abolished fines completely, my local area would probably be considered lower socio-economic so you'd be hard pressed to get any money back regardless of the tactics used anyway, so I'd agree that in some areas having fines just presents a barrier to people from borrowing.
My local library recently had a no-question-asked fine amnesty campaign which lasted for a couple of weeks.I see more kids coming to the library since then.
Libraries buy through library suppliers based on profiles provided by libraries. There are many rules that are imposed by parent bodies eg councils that determine buying policies with suppliers and these are followed to ensure everything is correct Which often prevents buying from amazon . There are several library suppliers who libraries May purchase from with some Offering specialised services eg dvds or large print only. In many cases you can have the books sent to you shelf ready, which basically means unpack the box tick them off the packing slip and place them on the shelves ready for borrowers
Has anyone tried to sue the library for having one of your books stuck in there head.
I've heard about this a lot but never seen it.
And uhm do need special pest control to protect your books
do you think library membership/useage correlates with poverty in Australia? ie as unemployment rises so does library usage/membership or do you think there is no correlation?
PS I like the new returning system in our library where books are placed on a shelf, scanned and returned, no more manual returns, excellent and efficient.
Hi Peterw
I don’t see a correlation myself library membership is growing due to libraries actively engaging with their communities understanding what they want and attempting to deliver this subject to normal budgetary constraints. We are certainly seeing other agencies direct clients to us for what ever reason centrelink will tell clients to submit their fortnightly form using the libraries free wifi as one example.
Library usage is growing because we are better at marketing what we do, being innovative and fun but still retaining the best of the old with the best of the new. Trust me that’s an extremely hard balancing act to get right.
I'm trying to get into the library indusrtry myself with no success. I have my Diploma level qualification and I'm applying for every library tech and library assistant job that comes up. Do you have any tips for people trying to break into the industry? Like the types of things you look for, anything that might help me get my foot in the door.
Hi librarynx don’t give up the market is extremely tight at the moment. Do register on your local council website to see if you can get an entail when a library job comes up if you haven’t already done so it’s a start. If you get an interview but not the job ask if you can get feedback to help you get over the line next time
What happens to all those books that people draw dicks in?
Nobody gives a stiff….
I have Australasian psychiatry and ANZJP psychiatry journals in almost brand new form from about 2016 to 2018. Do you think any library will be able to take those?
Hi
To be honest it’s highly unlikely as they would have limited usage certainly in the public library sector. In the University environment which I am not familiar with they are more than likely available to students on line
Hi
To be honest it’s highly unlikely as they would have limited usage certainly in the public library sector. In the University environment which I am not familiar with they are more than likely available to students on line
If you know, how to get a job at library in NSW, specifically Sydney? Through an agency maybe?