The three clerks are happily sitting at their desks, drinking their coffee and surfing the web all day long.

Our library system got rid of the desks at the same time they got self-checkout. Instead there are computer kiosks scattered about for the employees to use that require them to stand. (The idea is the library wants the staff to circulate around the library helping people as they browse the shelves, not sit behind a desk and make people come to them.) When the change happened there were a few complaints about how they were virtually guaranteeing that staff wouldn't stay on as they aged because they were expected to be on their feet all day. I have the feeling these complaints came from the "sit on my butt and surf the web" contingent who didn't like all the changes as the local library system was revamped. Considering changes like this was one of the reasons we went from one of the worst library systems in the state to one winning national awards, they can stand.

Lara Amber