Random Fun Stuff

Instead of a scanner, I have a laser pen! I remember the Tippecanoe County Library had these back in the day when I was a kid. I don't think I'd seen one since, until I came here.

My computer. We use SIRSI Symphony as our ILS. I think I like JAVA better. Symphony has some limitations and annoying quirks, and the online catalog for Symphony (Rooms) is way limited - it actually kinda sucks.

My laser pen. And the door to the library.

This is the cutest little homemade card/paper holder I've ever seen. It's things like this that make the Parkdale Library charming.

Other random things I love about my new library:

• Much less bureaucracy. It doesn't take approval from 5 different people to get things done/try new things. There is much less paperwork in general, and virtually none that we have to keep around for years for records (at least paperwork that I have to deal with).
• The flexibility we have in making decisions. When it comes to patron issues, it's basically up to us to decide what we want to do - cancel and work with patrons on fines, issue a limited checkout card for people with no ID, and lots more. We are allowed to check out to people by them just giving us their names. This is sometimes hard for me because I have strong feelings about privacy issues, and sometimes I'm uncomfortable doing this, but for the most part it is very convenient for both us and the patrons.
  

One bummer:

• The AV collection is lacking. We have no music cd collection at all, which kind of stinks. We do have downloadable audio books and movies, and I think if we did start a music collection, this would be a great way to go. Also, we don't really get very many new feature film type of movies, and coming from my libraries in FL, this is a huge change, and something I miss a lot because I used it all the time! In general the materials budget is very small, which kinda stinks, especially because it was so nice having a big budget in FL and getting all kinds of new stuff.

Overall I am really happy with and at my new library system. The main Hood River library is awesome (with some spectacualar views!), with that small town feeling - well, I guess because it is a small town. :-) And the Parkdale Library is so charming, and it's awesome to be able to "run" it and make decisions about the library for myself. It's fun! Now the only thing I can ask and hope for is a full time job with this wonderful library system.