The Curse Of Change

I've been to the main branch of the Kansas City, KS, library twice since they were closed for a week to orchestrate yet another change.  Until today, the only change I had noticed was that the alphabetical guides did not match up with the order the books were shelved.  It was a little better today.  There did seem to be a lot less mysteries than previously.  Today, I entered right across from the tub for returning books and walked right straight to it.  There was a man there who volunteered to check in my books.


After I made my selections for new reads, I returned to the same spot.  It was a light day, and the same man reached for the books and asked if I were ready to check out.  I was instantaneously blindsided by another clerk who offered to teach me how to use "The Machine" to check them out.  Now, a machine for such purposes is not necessarily new.  I recall refusing to learn to use it after the last time they reopened.  I clearly told him (same man, I think) that I definitely did not want to learn something new that day.  I still don't.  Apparently, nobody else does either, as in the several years since then I have not seen it used more than once.  But, I guess we have no choices now.  We will use the blankety blank thing, like it or lump it.


Why might I not like to use a machine?  For the same reason anybody else wouldn't.  It lacks the personal touch.  Nobody is there to say, "Hey, how are you?"  Nobody is there to answer questions.  Nobody is there to tell that a book is falling apart.  Just a cold, you know, lacking in warmth, hunk of metal


And, then, there is the problem of accuracy.  The dude who showed me how to use it kept having to move the books around so all were recorded.  That requires paying attention.  That requires being on one's toes.  That requires a little work --  and at the library for goodness sake --  when they are the ones getting the paycheck.


Let's not forget the main problem.  As the job gets more and more automated, they will need less and less people to work there.  Less people needed, less people hired.  Less people hired, greater unemployment.


But then, there's a good side to less people after all.  I've already put in my request to the Almighty for which clerks should go, beginning with the hateful man who answers the phone if you need to renew, right down to the clerk who forced me to use "The Machine" today (and the girl who laughed because he did it).


Things could be looking up after all.  Don't let me down, God.  Too bad He never listens to me.


Then, again, I could just use another of our local, more patron friendly, libraries  --  Kansas City, MO, Johnson County, Midcontinent.  I've used them all at some point.  If enough of us did this, all these people would be unemployed.  It's a thought!  All of them could be the ones to deal with the curse of change.