I sometimes get criticism on this blog for insisting that many librarians out there lack the kinds of basic technology skills that many of us take for granted. While these librarians are obviously in the vast minority, I must continue to contend that they are still out there. And sometimes I have a hard time knowing how to deal with them.
Me: …I have a handout with step-by-step instructions for doing what you want. Let me just email it to you. Do I have your address?
Them: No, I really don’t do email.
Me: (Stopping, confused.) You don’t use email?
Them: No, I don’t want to get sucked in. Can you just put the handout in the mail bag for me?
Me: (Totally thrown for a loop) Oh… Well… Um… I don’t know…. You don’t want to get sucked in??
Them: Yes, everyone seems to get so obsessed by their email, and I want to keep things simple for myself. You know, so it doesn’t get overwhelming.
Me: I guess so… but you don’t use email at all?? How do you communicate?
Them: (laughing) You know, the old fashioned way. I call. Or use the mail. Email is such a bother. So can you just mail the handout over to me? Or fax it?
Me: (with new resolve) No, I don’t think so. I can email it because I have the file right here, though. Can I send it to a library email account or something?
Them: I suppose so, but I don’t know how to get into that. I guess I could get someone else to get it for me…
Me: Well, if you find someone, maybe have them call me? I don’t want to send it if I don’t know that you will get it.
Them: Why not just put it in the bag??
Me: Because we email things here. I really think you should think about setting up an email account.
Them: I don’t want to, though. I don’t even know how to.
Me: Don’t you have to help patrons with that?
Them: No, I pass those questions off to someone else. I don’t really want to know anything about computers.
Me: (stubborn) I guess you’re out of luck, then. Why don’t you have someone with an email account call me. Or pick up the handout at the next meeting.
Maybe this wasn’t the best way for me to have handled things, but I was rather taken aback, and sometimes when that happens, you don’t really think, you just react. And the part that really got to me was the whole attitude of “someone else will do it.” I was pretty irritated by that. But in retrospect, I feel like this wasn’t necessarily the best reaction. What do you think?
Was I wrong to not just send the handout via mail? It would have cut this conversation down to size, and the person on the phone would have had her information the next day. Was I just being stubborn? Was this bad customer service on my part? Should I have just let it go?
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