Book borrowing saga (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Book borrowing saga

3:25pm Friday 25th April 2008

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SIR - The Winchester Discovery Centre may be a boon for all sorts of reasons, but unfortunately, the library side seems to have gone downhill.

Just logging on to its internet web page was no mean task, requiring the 10-digit borrower number followed by a four-digit pin number which had to be obtained by phone from the library, resulting in a total identification code probably in excess of the one required to get into Fort Knox.

A search on the library website catalogue for a biography of Stefan Zweig, which I had previously borrowed a year or so ago, then revealed that although there was a biography available, it was in Turkish and by what looked like a Turkish author.

A request for the one I had previously borrowed, and whose author and title I had forgotten, resulted in a veritable Odyssey, starting at the call centre which takes all calls for the library and answers as Hampshire County Council'.

The request was then channelled, for some unknown reason, to Fareham, who investigated the catalogue and eventually promised to ring me back, but didn't.

The following day I called Fareham Library again to ask what was happening, and was assured that the request had been passed on to the Winchester Discovery Centre.

Five days later, having still heard no more, I rang the Winchester Discovery Centre, and they disclaimed all knowledge of my request.

After further reeling off of the 14-digit identification code, and incidentally, explaining the difference between a biography and auto-biography, I received confirmation by e-mail that an attempt would be made to obtain the book from another library in the UK, with the comment that this might take a few weeks.

Further prodding revealed that this in fact meant six to eight weeks, so taking the week that had already elapsed into account, the total time taken might be up to nine weeks.

It would have been good to talk to someone in charge, if indeed there is any such person.

Edmund Bush, Sparsholt.

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