Not Finding What You’re Looking For? Ask Us!
Whether you’re someone who can navigate the library like a pro or someone who needs a bit of help finding what you’re looking for, FDL welcomes everyone. But sometimes, even the most seasoned of library patrons has come to the reference desk because they can’t find an item they’re looking for because it is not a part of FDL’s collection. Sometimes, these are obscure works that we don’t own simply because there isn’t a whole lot of demand for them. Sometimes we don’t own something because it slipped through the cracks. For example, we might have gotten rid of a popular first book in a series because it was too broken to repair and forgotten to order a replacement. It happens.
But, what we want you to know is that it is always 100% okay to ask us about these items. Occasionally, someone will come up to the desk and say something along the lines of, “I can’t believe you don’t have x, y, or z!” And sometimes, the librarian who is helping them will say, “I can’t believe that either!” And then we work to fix that hole in the collection. In the meantime, we’re more than happy to order items from different libraries so you can have the items you need as soon as possible. The bottom line is to not be afraid to ask. And to know that getting materials for you – whether that means putting something on hold or buying a new copy – is a big part of our job. It’s never a hassle or too much trouble.
Post by Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist
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