It never ceases to amaze me that people seem to have NO IDEA how to use a library. I've been looking up and finding my own books since I was ten. I wondered why every year in school we were taken into the library to be explained to--in very simple language-- how to search for a book and find it. It really wasn't that hard. You get the weird numbers and look at how they numbers coordinate with the shelves. At some point you'd come across a general topic and start looking for the specific book. It doesn't take a PhD to understand. Or so I thought.
Working at the library has been an eye opener. I'm sure half the people that can't figure out the call numbers would be able to stalk their favorite celeb with ease or search through facebook with great skill, but they have no clue how to find a novel by Charles Dickens (scratch that--they've probably never even HEARD of Charles Dickens!)
Really, though... what beats it all... when you point out the reference desk with the big sign above it that says REFERENCE and they start looking around asking "where?" Has education gotten to this point? Really?
I must confess I've never read a Charles Dickens' work all the way through. But I could find him in a library. :)
ReplyDeleteHow have you gotten away without reading Charles Dickens and be an English Major?
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