Our library recently renovated the first and second floors and decided to discontinue a large portion of journals that we were receiving in microfiche. In part this decision was based on the lower usage statistics for microfiche.  However, we also decided to order a new microfiche/microfilm reader.  We went with the ScanPro and are now struggling to learn another new technology.  Some of us are still wishing we had just kept the old readers, even though they would turn off unexpectedly.  It wasn’t anything a good hard smack to the side of the machine wouldn’t cure.  Anyone out there have some helpful tips about the ScanPro?

 

Another old item that we rid ourselves of was the change machine.  After every two or three dollars it would make a grinding noise and a circulation staff would have to fetch the keys to open the machine and clear out all the dollars.  It was very easy to fix, but an annoyance.  If all else failed you could just reach your hand inside and count out dimes for patrons.  Our new machine shiny and pretty and gives change every single time.  Oh, and did I mention it shoots the change across the room?  It also does not have the ability to give just dimes as change (our copies at 10 cents each).  It gives 3 quarters, 2 dimes, and 1 nickel.  There are little tubes inside that you have to fill up with the appropriate coins.  The holes are all shaped for quarters in case you want to make all quarters come out.  Sounds good, right?  It is until you try to put in an entire stack of dimes that fall down the tube and land sideways.  We have a long skinny poker that came out of an old card catalog that we use to poke the coins flat.  If this doesn’t work, you have to basically disassemble the machine and dump all the coins out from each tube and start over.

 

In all seriousness, we love our new floors.  While renovations can be a real pain, the end result is usually very nice.  So what am I griping about?  Do I have a point with this post?  Yes, I do.  As Garth says “thank god for unanswered prayers,” and don’t replace things just because they are old!