Hopeless new arrangements at the National Library

later12

convert wrote: »

Why is it ok for the manuscripts reading room but not the main reading room?

I did not say it is OK, I said it was also unfortunate but that it might be slightly more understandable.

In the manuscripts room, material may be a little harder and more time consuming to source and deliver to the reader, especially where it forms part of a large collection. In my experience it can already take quite a while to have manuscript material brought out to the reading room, and people typically spend longer going over these sources. It is not quite comparable with the speed of access that we have been used to in the library, where it is a simple matter of picking an indexed book off a shelf and delivering it with a group of other books to other readers.

Boulevardier

Later10, sorry for this delay in replying, which is because I was away.

I agree with you both on your substantive point, and with what you say about the over-willingness of some other posters to accept an inferior service. I think it is an endemic Irish trait.

The response I got from NLI was as you would expect - the party line. I emailed them again with suggestions for additional pickups at 5.30 and 7pm and they did not reply.

As for it being only for a trial period, well yeah, right!

later12

Boulevardier wrote: »

Later10, sorry for this delay in replying, which is because I was away.

I agree with you both on your substantive point, and with what you say about the over-willingness of some other posters to accept an inferior service. I think it is an endemic Irish trait.

The response I got from NLI was as you would expect - the party line. I emailed them again with suggestions for additional pickups at 5.30 and 7pm and they did not reply.

As for it being only for a trial period, well yeah, right!

Has anything happened on this front?

I stopped using the NLI because like you say, it wasn't just the new delivery system, it was the bizarre times they chose to deliver the books.

If you finish work at 5pm, you may not have your book delivered onto your desk until 6.40pm. That leaves about one hour before the bell is rang to close finish up reading and leave back your book.

An email facility exists, but that's essentially for users who can be in the library from first thing in the morning, not for those who may have work or college to attend and can only get to the library at a later time in the day.

convert

later10 wrote: »

An email facility exists, but that's essentially for users who can be in the library from first thing in the morning, not for those who may have work or college to attend and can only get to the library at a later time in the day.

No, you can email in your order even if you won't be in at 9.30am. I've done it lots of times - I email them the day before I'll be visiting, and the material is there waiting for me at whatever time I get in, whether it's morning, afternoon or evening.

Boulevardier

There is a desperate need for an additional early evening delivery time, but the chances of convincing the NLI people of that at this stage is nil.

I was in yesterday (monday) afternoon, and the place was pretty full. They cannot really plead falling user numbers. The place is being run down.