University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

Incompetents Fail To Appreciate Privileges

I write my remarks in reply
to Mr. Richard De Prospe's
letter of February 11. Let me
preface these remarks by
stating that I have been
employed by Alderman
Library for five years, in the
Rare Books and Circulation
Departments, and presently in
the Reference Department,
both as student assistant and
full time employee. I hope,
therefore, that readers will
consider fairly my authority,
based upon personal, daily
experience with the Library in
forming their opinions
regarding the administration of
the Library. For Mr. De
Prospe, angered by the fine
collection system, does not
know what he is talking about.

First of all, books are
checked out to cardholders for
one month. Graduate students
writing theses and dissertations
and members of the faculty
have very broad semester and
annual privileges. Accordingly,
any cardholder who does not
return his books on time has no
valid excuse, and should be
heavily fined for
inconveniencing others who
may need those books. Mr. De
Prospe, employing such
phrases as "neglected to
relinquish on the appointed
date," obviously regards the
fine system as unduly
militaristic. He fails to realize
how privileged he is to keep
out his books as long as the
Library does allow. So when
his wife cleverly deceived the
system, checking out her book
for second time without
paying the original fine, she
deserved every bit of that
subsequent $10 fine.

Readers must forgive my
tone, but persons who
complain of legitimate fines
have a nasty proclivity to
damn the entire Library for
their own incompetence.
Perhaps the Reference Room
provides for Mr. De Prospe
"the sundry entertainments of
a busy bus station" because
the volume of work we handle
is well out of proportion to
the space we are alloted.
Phone calls continually come
over the Reference lines during
certain busy afternoon hours.
Every single call is answered,
no matter how silly the
question. Many Reference
departments screen their
incoming calls: we answer all
of them, cheerfully and
efficiently. Few academic
libraries can boast of such a
service. Employees are always
about the Reference shelves
seeking information with
which to answer these calls as
quickly as they can. We try to
tiptoe, but exigency, at times,
makes this impossible.

Alderman Library is "a
nagging inconvenience" when
individuals deliberately
attempt to frustrate its
bureaucracy. All
bureaucracies are
inconvenient to work with.
Frustrating and confusing the
tenuous lines of
communication within and
between departments of
bureaucracies makes them
even more so.

So, Mr. De Prospe: tell
your wife to pay her fine, and
yourself write to the State
Appropriations Commission,
requesting for the Reference
Room wall-to-wall carpeting to
absorb telephone noise, shoes
and those occasional elderly
people (and students) who are
hard of hearing and must of
necessity raise their voices
above the whispering level. Or,
better yet, study in the Room
during mornings or evenings
when your peace of mind will
not be so disturbed by people
who are trying to do an
efficient job.