Excuse Me, Can You Help Me? {Secret Shopper Summary}
I visited a library I had never been to for my Secret Shopper experience. I walked in and the staff members working the check out desk pointed me toward the reference desk (yes, pointed). After finding the reference desk, I had to wait a few moments before a librarian showed up. Once she did, she asked me if she could help me. When I told her I was looking for a horror novel, she let me know that she normally worked in the teen area but she would do her best to help me.
The interaction itself was fairly short, maybe five minutes. She asked what type of horror novel I was looking for and I told her I didn’t want a Stephen King novel because I’m not fan of his writing. She asked if I was interested in ghost stories and I replied that I did like ghost stories and that zombies were okay as well. The only bonafide horror novel she suggested was The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, but it was checked out. After that, she suggested In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware and a Dean Koontz title. The Ruth Ware title is a thriller and Dean Koontz is comparable to Stephen King. Therefore, both of those were not very good suggestions. She was kind and did take me to the stacks herself to find the novels she suggested. She also told me to make sure to let her know if I needed anything else.
While the mediocre help may have been her lack of knowledge about the adult collection, it not being her genre forte, or an off day, I still probably wouldn't back to her specifically for help finding another book. However, it does help me see that Readers’ Advisory training could very well be lacking in libraries across the board.
The interaction itself was fairly short, maybe five minutes. She asked what type of horror novel I was looking for and I told her I didn’t want a Stephen King novel because I’m not fan of his writing. She asked if I was interested in ghost stories and I replied that I did like ghost stories and that zombies were okay as well. The only bonafide horror novel she suggested was The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, but it was checked out. After that, she suggested In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware and a Dean Koontz title. The Ruth Ware title is a thriller and Dean Koontz is comparable to Stephen King. Therefore, both of those were not very good suggestions. She was kind and did take me to the stacks herself to find the novels she suggested. She also told me to make sure to let her know if I needed anything else.
While the mediocre help may have been her lack of knowledge about the adult collection, it not being her genre forte, or an off day, I still probably wouldn't back to her specifically for help finding another book. However, it does help me see that Readers’ Advisory training could very well be lacking in libraries across the board.
Hi Brandy,
ReplyDeleteWow, sorry for your experience. It makes you feel like what's the point of having a staff that cannot help the patrons. I know we live in a very high tech do-it-yourself era, but we still need the help and interaction with human beings. I know the tools are there for the librarians, but I guess they need training and more training to keep up with constant change. I know personally I would want the tools and know how at my fingertips, so I could do my job effectively. I am in circulation, so I do not get a chance to help with reference questions. But, I do know when I can help find a certain movie on DVD or CD for a patron, it makes me feel good that I could make someone happy in a little way.
It's not that she was the worst ever, but she definitely could have stepped it up a bit. Hopefully it was an off day for her. It definitely helps me to see where I, myself, could improve and help my own library improve as well.
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