» Tuesday, 18 August A.D. 2009
library praise
I went to the library with Becca yesterday and picked up two books: Refactoring by Martin Fowler and Why Programs Fail by Andreas Zeller. I was particularly pleased to get the last book because I had requested that the library purchase it, figuring that I could read the book before buying it. I thought that being able to request that the library purchase books is pretty neat.
I requested a book yesterday and received an unexpected email from the library today concerning that request. The body of the email:
Thank you for your recent suggestion for purchase. We have decided not to purchase 'The Collapse of Complex Societies' for a number of reasons, including high price for a paperback, and the fact that it was published over 20 years ago and we haven't had a request for it until now. If you would like, we can try to borrow a copy of this book from a library system that owns it. You can initiate an interlibrary loan request for this item through our website (http://www.imcpl.org) by logging into your account through the My Account area and select the Interlibrary Loans link, or you can call the Central Library at 275-4100. Another option is to check it out directly from IUPUI Library. It currently shows on the shelf there, and as a resident of Indiana, you can check books directly out from their library as it's state-supported. Their phone number is 274-0469.
So, a couple of points about the email. The first is that, despite being signed “Selection Services”, the email came from what appears to be a non-automated address. Points for a personal response. The second thing to notice is that the criteria for rejecting the book are stated; not a complete list, but good enough to give some insight into what the library considers a “good book”. Thirdly, the email indicates other avenues to find the book, even going so far as to check the IUPUI library before sending the email out and confirming that it could be found there.
All of these things are above and beyond the call of duty. The response to my initial request could have been a completely automated email. The email could have simply stated that they have decided not to purchase the book without giving any rationale. They didn't have to tell me about other ways to find the book, nor did they have to run a search for the book in other libraries.
My only quibble is that the “high price for a paperback” must be dependent on other factors (such as the publishing date), since Why Programs Fail is a paperback and I believe it cost more than The Collapse of Complex Societies (although it's possible the library received a discount of some sort). But this is a minor thing; I was pleased with the selection of the library prior to this, I was delighted to find that I can request books and they actually get purchased, and I was equally delighted to receive such a detailed response to purchase requests that didn't get acted upon. Hats off to the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library!
posted by Nate @ 8:14PM