(no subject)

[darchildre]

The weirdest phenomenon I've noticed since the library reopened for in-building services is the number of people who call us and feel they need to preface whatever question they have with "I live in [town where the library is] and I'm a member of the library."

They all seem to use that phrase - "member of the library" - which sounds super weird to me. We're a public library, not a Costco - either we don't have members or everyone is a member. You don't need to prove your bona fides when you call and I don't care where you live. I mean, you can't apply for a card online if you live outside the county (though if you come into the building, we might be able to work something out) and if you want me to send an item in our collection to, like, Virginia, you need to talk to your home library's ILL department but beyond stuff like that, if you call, I'm going to try to help you out no matter where you called from.

I'd assume that all the people calling and using that phrase are people who got library cards during the height of the pandemic and weren't familiar with the library before, but a lady just called and used that phrase who said she'd had her card for decades. (She also said that her card had been lapsed for decades though, so...)

It's weird.

Comments

[james]

They've realised that libraries are a Cult and want to make sure they don't get hunted down by the Night Demon Horde for trying to use library services without being a True Member.

At least the library I belong to does that.

[jbanana]

There was someone (Tommy Cooper?) who said when he rang he said "Is that the local library?"
They said "It depends where you're calling from."

[schneefink]

"Member of the Library" just makes me think of secretive magic library cults xD

[silveradept]

It is a membership organization, just with a really low bar to become a member. I think it's the same problem as the youth services librarians getting referred to as "Teacher" - it's wrong, but people are scrambling to try and find something that's close enough and familiar to them or the child.