I am soooo pissed at the St. Paul Public Library right now

Or 3 hours ago, I guess.

I was really in a good mood. I got told a good story by the tv in my computer and I was real happy. I rocked out to Digitata on the mile-ish walk there. Getting ready to enjoy a nice pleasant run back to my apartment.

I get there, locate my book on the holdshelf and walk over to the checkout desk. I pulled out my library car...oops that's a U-Pass. No library card. Should be no problem. I'll ask the troll-ish flat-iron faced library administrator (certainly not a librarian--acting too busy).

"Hi," I grin, "I forgot my library card." She gives me a dirty look. "Can you help me?" She lets a pause hang. "I know my number." She is not impressed. "Can you help me?"

"You need your card to check out."

"You can't do it back there?"

"No."

"There's no way?"

"This has been the way for 2 years since we got self-checkout."

I wished I'd been a girl so I could have cried and made her help me. I wish I was more adolescent-ish so I could steal the g-d book and check it out next time I'm there. No, I had to be a responsible citizen-drone and put it back on the shelf. Bah.


Did the SPPL system miss the customer service revolution of the late '90s, early '00s? It's all about institutions utilizing technology that automates formerly costly processes (like keeping a bullpen of customer service reps to handle calls) and automating the stuff that is best automating and keeping a much smaller reserve for intractable questions. It's about more service, not different service.

I hope big sister Hennepin gets hungry again and eats this mean system.

(but seriously, I'm going to have to re-reserve this book and it's going to have to be transported across the city again; just because St. Paul doesn't like having good customer service--such a waste)