Library Fail

Over the summer I started visiting my local public library, the Brandon Regional Library.  After all, I'm in library school, it seemed only natural to get a library card (especially since I can't really afford to buy books right now).  The first book I checked out was Lev Grossman's The Magicians.  I loved it and read it in two or three days.  In fact, I had to force myself to stop reading it the first day.

Naturally, I was dying to read the sequel, The Magician King.  Unfortunately, it was brand new and there was a waiting list to check it out.  But that wasn't really a problem since I could place a hold on it from the  Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative's website and add myself to the waiting list.  Isn't it wonderful to be living in the future?

So I placed my hold in the summer (I think it was August, but I don't remember exactly) and waited to be contacted when it was available.  And waited.  And waited.  Eventually I just forgot about it.  Once in a while it would pop into my head, but I just assumed that the people in front of me were slow readers and forgot again.

This morning it popped into my head again and I decided to check on the status of my hold.  Well, it turns out that the people in front of me were not slow readers because the hold expired on 9/23/11.  I assume that means that it became available to me a week or so before that date.  I just checked my cellphone and there are no missed calls in the entire month of September.  Nor do I have any unread emails dated September.  This means that no one contacted me to let me know that the book I was dying to read was available to me.  Good job, Brandon Library and HCPLC, you've given me every reason to distrust your ability to provide me with books I can't take from the stacks myself.

Now, to play devil's advocate, it is possible that it was my responsibility to monitor the status of my hold.  But I checked and, nope, the Hillsborough County procedure for requests and holds states that customers are notified by phone or email.

Personally, this isn't a big deal.  As a matter of fact, I walked into the Brandon Library this afternoon and walked out less than five minutes later with a copy of The Magician King.  But as an aspiring librarian, it bugs me.  For one thing, this is a process that should clearly be automated.  But the much bigger issue is that this is not a good way to encourage customer loyalty.  I have no idea if other people have ever experienced this issue (and I dearly hope not).  I want to be a librarian.  I have a vested interest in the survival of libraries of all types.  But even I have no intention of ever requesting or reserving a book through the HCPLC again.  I can't imagine how someone who doesn't really care one way or another about libraries would react to this.

All of that being said, I will continue to frequent the Brandon Library.  Provided that I know ahead of time that the book I am interested in is in the stacks.