Cutting The Cord At County Libraries

managinginformation.com Has A Short Piece on what may be an obvious move by Leicestershire libraries.

Libraries in Leicestershire are improving customer service by installing cordless phones. The new phones will enhance the service libraries are able to offer as staff across the County will be able to talk to phone customers as they search for answers to their queries via cordless phones.

I’ve not seen a cordless phone in my local library, is this common?

May 19, 2004 by Blake Uncategorized 7

Anonymous Patron says:

May 19, 2004 at 6:12 pm

re: cordless phones at the desk
I work in a large academic library in the southeast US and we have a cordless phone at our desk. It’s handy not just for taking into the stacks to answer a question, but also for monitoring the phone when you’re doing rounds around the room (checking printers, computers, straightening chairs, etc.).

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GregS* says:

May 19, 2004 at 6:53 pm

question: multiple lines
What happens when you have multipe calls? Do you have trouble switching back and forth? Are there lost calls?

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infodiva says:

May 19, 2004 at 7:18 pm

cordless rocks
When I worked at a medium sized academic library we also had a cordless phone at the reference desk. It was a great improvement, and I could answer questions involving print materials so much faster.

Now, I work in a special library which does not have a cordless phone and I really miss it!

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Christina says:

May 19, 2004 at 7:20 pm

Needed but difficult
When I was in a large public library I suggested this but we found that with our digital pbx (maybe wrong term) we would have to buy special phones which were expensive. Switching lines is a problem, too. We would also have had problems with theft.

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exlibrispdx says:

May 19, 2004 at 8:17 pm

Cordless
Damn… hit the wrong key. Anyway. I work in a small medium-sized library, and we have a cordless at the reference desk. For many of the same reasons mentioned above.

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Anonymous Patron says:

May 19, 2004 at 11:04 pm

Technical difficulties
At an academic library where I used to work, we had cordless phones at the desk but they stopped working, apparently due to interference from the security gates. We tried getting different phones to no avail.

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Anonymous Patron says:

May 19, 2004 at 11:10 pm

I wish!
I wish we could have cordless phones.
We currently have three phones in our circulation department – only ONE of which is located near a computer. When we answer one of the phones that is not next to a computer we have to stretch the line across several desks or across the office – which inconveniences many people trying to work. And while we are stretching it, we get to hear our boss comment to not stretch the line or we will ruin it. But what can you do? Run back and forth between the phone and the computer while trying to help the patrons with their queries about their account, etc.?
Other offices have cordless phones, but not ours.
We have requested them many times but they have been deemed a luxury that we can do without!

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