From the Suggestion Box.....

[barryreese]

From the Suggestion Box 9/17/08:

People shouldn't be allowed to come in and check out a whole lot of books. I came in on Saturday August 16, 2008 and this lady checked out more than 30 books and held the line up. Other customers should not have to wait.

Director's Response:
While I understand that waiting for someone else's transaction to conclude is sometimes tedious, the number of check outs that are allowed is actually a PINES policy and is not set locally. While I agree that the number of checkouts allowed is too high, there is nothing we can do without PINES as a whole changing the policy... on the plus side, should you ever need to check out that same number of items, you would be able to do so. Thanks!

[barryreese]

From the box on May 6, 2009:

"I love Kids Club and Movie Days. Signed, Nathan"

Thanks, Nathan! We're glad that you enjoy those. We plan lots more fun things for the Kids Club to do and we have some terrific movies planned for the next few months. Thanks for letting us know how you feel!

[barryreese]

From the suggestion box on May 6, 2009:

"More Books please. Can you get more drawing books?"

We'll be ordering additional drawing books for the adult, young adult and childrens collections. Thanks for letting us know what you'd like to see!

[barryreese]

Received on 5/15/09:

I was very disappointed and shocked to find "Playboy" dvds for rent at your library. "Girls Next Door" was on a low shelf where any child could see it! I hope you have ways to keep from checking out such pornographic material! I hope to see such things removed the next I come.

Thanks for sharing your concerns. There are several responses that need to be made to this:

1) The Girls Next Door series is a television series that airs on E! Network and is not pornographic. It is a reality series that depicts the lives of several women who live at the Playboy Mansion. Given that it frequently is aired during the daytime, the show features no actual nudity and there is no hardcore or simulated sex. Indeed, it's no more shocking (I'd say even less so!) than the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue or many fashion magazines, such as Vogue.

2) The item in question is shelved on the second floor in our adult section. We have a Children's and a Teen section. Parents and guardians are always encouraged to visit the library with their children and to monitor their activities while they are here. Should you choose to bring your child into the adult collection, there is always the chance that you may see something that would offend your sensibilities. We simply cannot account for the personal tastes and sensibilities of everyone. What you consider appropriate or inappropriate viewing for your children may differ greatly from what another parent may feel.

3) In the case of R rated materials, we have an R Rated Materials Checkout Policy. Minors are not allowed to check out R rated materials unless a parent or guardian has signed permission for them to do. The dvd cases that are on the shelf do not contain the actual dvds in them -- meaning that even if a child successfully managed to steal the case, they still could not view the material, since the dvds are stored elsewhere in a staff-only location.

4) If you still feel that there is an item in the collection that you genuinely think should be pulled and thus censored from viewing by others, there is a process by which you can ask for an official review of the item. Please contact me if you would like to do that. I would caution you, however, that such a path is a slippery slope. I am certain that there may be items that you enjoy that others think are a waste of library resources and you'd hate to have those items pulled because someone else didn't like them. We try to serve everyone, not just a few, and this sometimes means that we will have items in our collection that challenge or even enrage you. That's part of what a public library is for.

Thanks Again.

[barryreese]

Patron Comment: "I wish the library were open at least one weekend day. I also suggest having a "classics" section separate from "fiction" books. Thank you.

Director's Response: I agree 100% about the weekend hours. Please contact the city council and county commission and let them know that we need a budget increase that will allow us to do that. It's very easy to ask us to add hours or services but without getting additional funding, we have no hope of meeting those requests.

As for the classics suggestion, I discussed it with our cataloger and we'll consider it for the future. Patrons are split on the issue of subdividing the collection. Some love having the mystery and sci-fi collections separate for instance but it confuses others who wish that all the fiction books were simply shelved together alphabetically.

[barryreese]

Patron Comment: "Best library."

Director's Response: Thank you! We certainly try.

[barryreese]

Patron comment: "To sit and listen to 6 people have a meeting in a library and do nothing about it is disgraceful. I cannot believe you let distractions continue."

Director's Response: I'm a bit confused... are you saying that six people were seated in the public area meeting with each other and they were too loud? If so, please contact a staff member in the future with your concerns. We try to monitor the noise level in the library but there are times when what disturbs you might not be disturbing to others. You're always welcome to walk up to a staff member and ask them to speak to the group in question. They'll certainly do it on your behalf. It is important to note that libraries have not been "quiet" environments in quite a few years. Information is noisy. We're here to be a meeting place for the public and a place where they can comfortably exchange information, concerns and resources. While there is a limit to the noise level we permit, we're not looking to have a "quiet" library. A truly quiet library is usually a sign that no one is using it... and that's horrible! I'd rather have a building packed with people speaking at reasonable tones than a library with only five or six people in it, all being as quiet as mice.

[barryreese]

Patron comment: "Enforce your rules. Cell phones are constantly ringing. You actually let infants upstairs?"

Director's Response: Our cell phone policy is that we ask all patrons to set their phones to silent or vibrate. We do allow them to carry on conversations at reasonable levels of volume. Typically, if we hear a person's phone audibly ringing, we don't say anything the first time. If it rings a second time, our staff has been instructed to remind them of our policy. As always, if you feel that we're missing something while you're here, please let us know WHILE YOU ARE HERE. This helps us identify the problems that are causing you concern.

And yes, we allow infants upstairs. We allow people of all ages in all areas of the library.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

[barryreese]

Patron comment: "The staff, they never smile nor do they greet you when I walk into the library. I always greet them so now I don't even speak. They are supposed to be pleasant people! I hope this will change and they will greet all people who come into the library not just some!!!

Director's response: I'd love to know which staff members you're speaking of. Your statement makes it sound as if you're referring to all of the staff and I've personally witnessed that my staff almost always greets people when they enter the building. Not always with a "welcome to the library" but sometimes with a simple "Hello" or a smile and a nod. There are times when the staff is actively engaged in handling transactions with other patrons and may not be free to greet you personally. Staff friendliness is always a priority for us and if you have specific staff members that you feel are not meeting your standards, please speak to me in person about who they are.

[barryreese]

From the Suggestion Box (early January 2010):
Eleanor is my nominee for Employee of the Month. She goes way further than the extra mile in her service. Thanks, Eleanor!

Director's Response: Thanks for the suggestion! You'll be pleased to know that Eleanor *is* the January Employee of the Month! Thanks for letting us know that she's pleased you!

[barryreese]

From the Suggestion Box (January 2010):
Give us 3 weeks for paperbacks. They are only paperbacks. Give us a break.

Director's Response: We try to keep all our checkout durations the same (2 weeks) to avoid confusion for the patrons. If hardbacks were two weeks, paperbacks 3 weeks, videos 1 week, etc. it would just prove confusing for patrons over time. Keeping everything the same is simpler for everyone. Also keep in mind that you can renew your items up to two times, meaning you can keep items for up to six weeks if no one puts a hold on the item. Thanks for the comment.

[barryreese]

From February 2010:

"I would like more Story Time and I would like to get on the Internet."

Director's Response: We currently offer Story Time twice a week (at 10:30 and 3:30 on Tuesdays) but during the Summer we increase the schedule to three days a week (Monday - Wednesday) with special events on Terrific Thursdays. Hopefully that will satisfy your desire for more Story Time!

As for the Internet, if you have your own Library Card, you can access the Internet by logging in with it on the second floor. If you don't have one, it's free to get a card if you're a resident of Georgia. If you're a minor, you'll need your parents to sign for you to get a card. Hope that helps.

[barryreese]

From March 2010:

"Put dividers between computers so people can feel more secure about using the codes and passwords when using the computers."

Director's Response: I'd love to do something like this but our current setup doesn't make this feasible (the way the computers are laid out and the furniture we have for them). It's definitely something we'll look at in the future, however.

[barryreese]

From July 2010:

"Could use a local pay phone. Needed to get a name and no cell. Couldn't call to find out."

Director's Response: When we had a pay phone, it was frequently vandalized and, by the end, was generating virtually no revenue. We allow patrons to use our phones for emergency purposes but I'm afraid the days of pay phones is almost gone. It's very hard to find one around town.

[barryreese]

From August 2010:

"I love this library system. I like the children books. They are nice and warm. It is cool here."

Director's Response:

Thanks for the kind words! We are very pleased that you find it pleasant to be here -- and our Children's department staff especially appreciates your comments.