Submitted by Kim
I have been using the National Library Service for years. Recently I have had to be using their services for copying large documents.
Often times when you try to pay they have no change. No Petty Cash operates there and you are sent next door to the Barbados Lotteries for change, where the Attendants would murmur about depleting their change. Yet the Library or Director does not improve on this.
When payment is accepted often no receipt is issued even when requested, although there are receipt books.
Then there is the issue of copies. Sometimes the machine malfunctions or patrons, not understanding the machine, makes prints that are spoils but are expected to pay for same. Library Assistants demand payment for the copies conscientiously but care less about providing correct or adequate change to patrons. Just recently I was asked to allow them to owe me change because they didn’t have the requisite coins to make change. I refused and was told to go get the exact money from another Attendant. I was not allowed to walk with the copies to the next work station within the same Branch, but, when I returned, the first Attendant was relieved by another who I paid and who was instructed on the exact amount of money to be collected but was not given the copies he was receiving the money for. With the aggravation, I did not remember to ask for the copies and the Attendant did not see it fit or just didn’t give a damn to think that he must give something in exchange for my money. So I did not get my copies on that occasion and had to return another time. The value of Time and efficiency is lost in this agency.
This behaviour of demanding money and not handing over copies or receipt is totally unacceptable and smacks of fraud. Having defective machines and demanding patrons pay for useless copies is abuse. Extortion.
These issues could be mitigated if some of the Attendants would take an interest in learning how to operate the various specialist functions on the machines. Instead, they are proud to say they do not know how to do the unusual aka special functions on the machines. I get the distinct impression that they only want to sit and stamp books and pack shelves.
I wrote the Director on these issues but they continue to persist. Still outstanding is a receipt for $28 for copies made months ago. I still have to go to other service providers to get change for business conducted at the National Library Service. Why? Are we in the stone age or are we in the 21st-century, a technological age?
ARE WE THERE AS YET?
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