"the CDs need to be alphabetized"

[KellyHabersham]

*A mini-suck sighting from working at the library today.....fortunately this guy didn't seem to realize that I was an employee (I was shelving in that area), otherwise he might've gotten directly sucky with me.*

I was shelving some DVDs this afternoon, when I overheard this guy making snarky comments to his female companion about how the library really needed to have the CDs in alphabetical order, because he couldn't find anything he was looking for, and it was just ridiculous. (he didn't cuss or anything, but was definitely very irritated)

And while I'd be the first to admit that the shelving units we have for the CDs don't make it easy to browse, I also feel that this guy was being sucky for thinking that staff should/would have the time to alphabetize CDs and keep them that way throughout the day. (yes, it WOULD be nice if we were able to do that, but with the way customers at my library are so messy, it wouldn't be practical)

[mikoyan29]

Aren't they usually alphabetized by Artist or something like that?

[KellyHabersham]

No, we just have them seperated by the different music genres. I seem to recall that we tried a system a few years ago where, for example........all the bands/artists whose name began with "A" were grouped together on the shelf. But, that didn't last long because it become too time-consuming for the shelving staff to keep up with.

[Magpie]

It always drives me crazy that the DVDs will be sorted by letter but not within that. Generally I'm able to keep this to a level where I don't feel a need to sort the DVDs, but every now and then I crack and start sorting the DVDs. Or when books are organized by last name, but not by author within that, although those I rarely touch.

[Librarybabe]

Could be worse...

You *could* put them in LC order...he'd NEVER find what he was looking for, unless he checked your catalog. But, that would take effort...and the ability to use Boolean logic, and the ability to SPELL. </snark>

[KellyHabersham]

You *could* put them in LC order...he'd NEVER find what he was looking for, unless he checked your catalog. But, that would take effort...and the ability to use Boolean logic, and the ability to SPELL. </snark>

Funny that you should mention that......I probably could've helped him find what he was looking for, as I seem to have a "magic touch" for finding CDs. (this being from helping other staff members do our hold request list) However, because the guy was being so snarky, I wasn't inclined to identify myself as a staff member.

[Mystic]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't find him sucky at all. I probably would have said the same thing as that is usually how they are organized in any normal shop: Genre > Alphabetized.

If you guys don't have the time to do it, it's the managers job to make the time to do it, which means paying someone a few extra hours to sort.

[KellyHabersham]

Oh, I'm not saying that this guy being frustrated was sucky, it was the way he was expressing himself, and the fact that I was hesitant to approach him to offer help.....this is where I saw the suck. (Plus, the fact that I couldn't really say something like "Well, if customers would put things back where they found them, it would be easier for the staff to keep things organized")

[PatchO'Black]

A while back, when I worked on the floor in a computer store, I once baffled the rest of the staff when I organized the game titles. You see, I first separated them by game-type (first-person shooters, real time strategy, card and board games, etc), then put them in alphabetical order. My thinking was that sales people could then say, "Well, if you enjoyed this game, you might like these as well."

My manager had me redo it in just alphabetical order. Darn.

[Andara Bledin]

If you guys don't have the time to do it, it's the managers job to make the time to do it, which means paying someone a few extra hours to sort.

Sure, thing. We'll just pull some more budgeting money out of the magic hat so the library has the staff funding to get things sorted properly.

Hell, most libraries are lucky to be open at all with the lack of funding they get. Honestly, if the CDs being out of order is his only complaint, he should count himself lucky.

^-.-^

[Mnemjian]

If you guys don't have the time to do it, it's the managers job to make the time to do it, which means paying someone a few extra hours to sort.

That guy can go be snarky in a store when he is a paying customer. At the library, he should consider himself lucky that he has access to that public service. Many do not.

[Miranda Rights]

It always drives me crazy that the DVDs will be sorted by letter but not within that. Generally I'm able to keep this to a level where I don't feel a need to sort the DVDs, but every now and then I crack and start sorting the DVDs. Or when books are organized by last name, but not by author within that, although those I rarely touch.

I do that at places I don't work. Like Blockbuster or Barnes and Noble. Until my husband catches me and goes, "What in HOLY F*** is wrong with you?" I try to play it off like I was just looking for something, but he knows me too well. He knows sorting when he sees it.

Note: I don't disrupt displays, or meddle with any system in place, but when things are clearly out of order, I just can't help myself.