About libraries... and never taking things for granted

I’ve been in Redmond for 2 months now. When I arrived, the first thing I did was to locate my nearest KCLS library, as the go-to point for integration with our new community – besides, visiting libraries has always been my greatest passion given my profession and vocation. And I’ve learned to never give for granted the purpose, quality and depth of service I’ve been receiving there!

My first impression about KCLS in Redmond is simple: I was able to walk in, no questions asked, to the open shelving area. To put that in perspective, no South American library that I’ve ever visited even entertained this idea given the potential for property loss and the perceived impact on job quantity and quality for the staff.

In Redmond, I’ve been able to incorporate into library life with no problems at all. I’m still not sure if KCLS just trusts their educated patrons, everything’s been setup for minimal staff intervention or the libraries are just what they were meant to be: a public space for the public.

Their largest collection is divided in fiction and non-fiction, ordered using the Dewey Decimal Classification System. While they still have spaces for children’s and reference, separating the general collection makes it easier for patrons to locate their context and self-serve when they use the catalogue to search for the information they’re looking for.

Once you find your book you have several options to consume it: sit on any reading-ready space, use your computer with free Internet access while you use your book for references or self check-out your book from the machines they’ve setup for you.

Of course, lots of people still walk in with their laptops and backpacks. No questions asked, and especially not if you bring your own literature – even if it’s not on their collection.

For me, the most interesting part has been checking in your loans. You don’t need a 3rd party to help you conduct business between you and the library if you don’t need to – you can check in your books in the machines outside the Library.

As a librarian, I’m glad to see KCLS thinks on Redmond patron’s convenience, while providing a transparent, high quality self-service – without forgetting the hard intellectual work and dedication of the librarians behind the service since it actually speaks highly of the integration and professional quality of their people.

And so patrons, whether targeted as a particular audience (such as Hispanics, as myself) or not, still feels the library as a space to be taken without odd procedures, and as a go-point for integration since it’s not only the easiest public service to consume but also a hotbed of specialized services clearly pointed towards a multicultural library.