I was quite interested to read last night that a group of three nearby public libraries (Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Skokie Public Library and Indian Trails Public Library in Wheeling) have decided to offer a new service to their users that gives them the option to check out library material via their websites and have the material delivered to the user’s home. Ah, but as Rick (Humphrey Bogart) says in the movie Casablanca to his ertswhile friend, Ugarte (played by Peter Lorre), “For a price, Ugarte, for a price.” I think this is a great idea and I would be interested in using the service as a user. However, I think the price (the article says it would be $4 per item checked out) is too high. Also, one of the participating public libraries stated that it would not encourage return by mail “because of the availability of 24 hr. drop boxes.” This, to me, is an example of where the library needs to think more clearly about the needs or wants of the user. In other words, I think this library is placing too much of a priority on what is convenient for it vs. what is convenient for the user. Think of the Netflix model. One of the main reasons for Netflix’s success, in my view, is the way that the whole delivery and return process is so easy.
So…a big thumbs up for these libraries that are willing to try something very new (and probably disruptive) in an attempt to better serve their users. Thumbs down, however, for the cost for the user to use this service, as well as for not finding a way (at least in one library’s case) to enable return of library materials by mail.
Thanks to having yesterday off (it was Columbus Day here in the U.S.), we enjoyed a longer-than-usual weekend. Rather than try to finish unpacking boxes from the move and clean up the general mess, we decided to try to do some fun things. Saturday we visited a Japanese market called Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights and enjoyed the sense that we were visiting that country. We picked up some red bean cakes and miso soup mix as well as some other things. It was quite stressful to shop there with four children in a very crowded store. Still, it was fascinating and worth the trip. Michele and I agreed that next time we go, we should pick a day that is less busy and preferably, sans kids. Sunday I went to church and then afterward, we drove up to Lake Geneva, just across the border in Wisconsin. Yesterday we decided to visit the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Much to their surprise, the kids really enjoyed it. The weather was nearly perfect for the trip, sunny but cool. I’ll add photos from the gardens to my Flickr account soon but in the meantime, I loaded some new photos of the kids taken over the weekend by Michele and me with our new digital camera.