7.17.2006

Library Walkabout

Does anyone else feel uncomfortable about walking patrons to the stacks? I don't mean in a security sense--I mean in the sense of finding a good walking speed and position in relation to the patron.

I tend to walk rather briskly, particularly in the stacks, and find that many times patrons just meander behind me. But if I slow down to their pace, they often slow even further--they usually seem more comfortable following, rather than walking side-by-side. This can make me self-conscious, and as a result, I tend to be acutely aware of my walking while in the stacks.

Am I just overthinking this? Or is the perfection of walking speed/position something imperative to good user service?

3 comments:

maggie moran said...

I'm a big walker, 6k a day, and have become rather speedy...Well, I had a student ask me to slow down! I was getting him to the stacks way too fast.

So, now I start chit-chatting on the way, pace myself, but in the process, meet some kewl students.

One sentence--How's your semester going?

We are either side-by-side yapping or they grunt, which makes me walk faster! ;-)

Pretend you're Miss Jean Brodie and walk like your in your prime. ;0

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.