confessions of a southside catatonic chataholic

...do the thinking.'
~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

In which Tosca realises that this is going to be one of those weeks where she has more questions about libraries and, as is usual lately, offers no answers whatsoever. For the simple reason that she doesn't have any answers. I don't know that there are perfect answers at all, actually. This time around I'd like to know why we measure the success of our services by playing a numbers game. Is it really an accurate depiction of how well we're doing? Or of how many people we're actually reaching? Do stats/reports/numbers really mean that we're providing the best quality library services that we can?

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...Travel my way, take the highway that is best
Get your kicks on route sixty-six'
~ 'Route 66' by Nat King Cole (written by Bobby Troup)

In which Tosca writes a somewhat long and rambling post with no point whatsoever except to state what she's reading (which is also related to her 2013 international trip). C'est tout. The clip is, of course, Nat King Cole's version of 'Route 66.'

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...You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms.'
~ Angela Carter

In which Tosca started to write about her family (because it's Thursday) and does (in a roundabout way) but ends up with more questions about New Zealand public libraries. Again. And this time asks: Why don't we talk about books, anymore? When did it become a dirty word? When did it become incidental to what we do? Did it just happen over time as library services started to change? Did we not notice until too late? Have we noticed at all? I do apologise in advance for making this week a Cranky McRanty Pants weeklong barrage of library-related posts *pulls a face* but I have lots of questions and no answers. I don't know what I would do with the answers if I did have them. I just find that the more I puzzle things through, the more questions it always engenders. I guess that's life.

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...toward completion.'
~ Ralph W. Sockman

In which Tosca has more questions about NZ public libraries. It's Wednesday which means that for once this week I am actually on track for writing a library related post (even though I've done it twice already). However, then I stuff it up slightly by not writing a reflective post at all, so much as asking questions about outreach - what we do, how we do it and whether or not it's still relevant or in need of revision. I guess what I really want to know is: Do NZ public libraries still do outreach?

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...it has a scent of something special
I can't rest
If I resist temptation
Oh, I know for sure that I will lose the best'
~ Caro Emerald's song A night like this from the album Deleted scenes from the cutting room floor

In which Tosca takes a break from Cranky McRanty Pants library posts and, instead, mellows out a little and shares a music clip. C'est tout. (Yes, I realise that the post quote is longer than the intro).

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...that's when my life began.'
~ Rita Mae Brown

In which Tosca has more questions about libraries, only this time in relation to books in general and readers' advisory in particular. I don't proclaim to know the answers to any of what I'm about to ask. I guess it's more my way of talking aloud in an effort to clarify some thoughts I've had about readers' advisory and how I don't think we've quite managed to do it justice in the past. I also don't expect that anyone answers, but it sure is the icing on the cake if this strikes a chord with someone, somewhere.

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...depends on the quality of our people.'

In which Tosca has been having rather deep thinky-thoughts about customers, who they are, how we think we're doing it right but don't always and other trivial stuff. You know, the usual.

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