Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Closer, Being a good
After the final "We're closing!" announcement is made over the intercom, librarians may dispense of all niceties, break out the riot gear, and forcibly remove patrons from their Farmville games on the library's public computers.
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16 comments:
was just saying Sunday evening when closing the library that all a patron has to do for me to like him/her is to leave 10 minutes before closing, and all they have to do for me to dislike them is to stay 5 minutes past.
When I figured out how to set up our public computers to shut down automatically 15 minutes before closing (with a 5 minute warning) I was beloved by my circ staff forevermore.
Do share how to do that!
Our computers shut down 15 minutes early too, thanks to the patron login program we've got on them, PCRes. We can also put holds on times for classes, and people automatically get logged off *with many warnings and as well as a timer for how much time they have left* when it's time for the class. I can't imagine having to shoo people out myself. I think I would have been driven insane long ago.
We used to do that at my previous workplace- shutting down computers at ten til closing time, with at least two warnings. Worked like a charm. Now, my current job, I know w could do it (we the same Profound Ice system), but between an administrator/director more interested in image, the "customer is always right nonsense," and "we don't want to alienate anyone even if it means throwing staff under the bus," not likely to be implemented. Sigh.
My library didn't have funding for a program to do the shutdown, so I created a system task (Control Panel =>Administrative Tools=> System Tasks) that did it. Added to it setting the BIOS to start up the computer every day at a set time and the computers took care of themselves. Instructions for shutdown: http://www.winxptutor.com/schsd.htm
We have our computers shut down 15 minutes prior. That way the patrons have time to print all their stuff and still get out of the building on time. Success!
In London I had a very large, evil-tempered security guard who would arrive in the Library 5 minutes before closing, glower at the students and then hit the master power switch. It was very effective.
Always be closing.
Thank god for computer software that automatically kicks off patrons at 10 till close.
The library system I previously worked in had the nice feature of booting patrons from the internet 5 minutes before closing, but the one I work in now will only shut down 5 minutes AFTER closing. All this does is reinforce the idea that the library doesn't close at 9pm but 9:05 so they will always spend those extra 5 minutes playing Farmville or whatever Facebook application they're into while I stand over them, repeatedly verbally reminding them that the library is in fact closed.
They might fight you, but take heart!
They stopped being civilians when they started building farms, they knew the risks!
Addicts get superhuman strength, tear gas may not be enough. Fire, the only thing an addict's warped mind can fear, so get a flame thrower. A few puffs of hell fire in the air, and the addict will see you mean business.
Not even the red eyed farmville making zombie addict wants to become a human bbq.
How about getting them out of the restrooms at closing. I wish we could lock those doors at 10 minutes before. Even turning the lights out doesn't help.
Our public computers shut down 15 minutes before closing. One day someone came in 20 minutes before to use the computer. We advised him he only had 5 minutes and he said, fine. Five minutes later the PC shut down. He started complaining, VERY loudly. When we reminded him of the warning, he said, "but I didn't know it happened AUTOMATICALLY!"
It's all about patron service. Thanks for the post.
http://madonarrival.blogspot.com/search/label/Closed
I always seemed to the be the one for Library Nazi duty. If we could explain that all overtime was being paid by patrons who leave late, maybe they would leave on time.
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