LIBRARIES

[wolffyluna]

So, I got a message from my library a few days ago that said one of my hold requests had come in. And then yesterday, I got a message saying that I had a book due back.

And I thought “Hey, I can bundle these two tasks together, and minimise my risk of catching The Plague while still going to the library.” Because I totally could walk to the library, return a book, pick up a book, and walk back, while staying further than 1.5m apart from people.

So, I went to do that--

--and found my request wasn’t on the shelf?

So I asked the librarian (...and got within 1.5m of someone else.) You see, it turns out my library system doesn’t send the ‘we have your request!’ message when it arrives at the library you asked it to come to. No, it’s gets sent when it ‘leaves’ the library it was at. Not even properly leaves, the message gets sent when it gets put in the box for the courier.

I left the library, defeated, having merely returned a book.

...I’m just going to buy the ebook. It’s going to be way less risky, and I believe in Amazon’s ability to get me the book I want in my hot little digital hands and I do not believe in my library’s ability to do that.