LIBRARIANS ARE COOL

I’ve just been to Bray Library.   Every time I go there I’m impressed.    No matter how busy they are they always have time to address your particular needs.   I’ve seen them help students with projects by guiding them to the best sources of information.   I’ve seen them encourage small children to read by leading them to the books most suited to their age and offering further suggestions to parents.   I’ve seen them chat with elderly people about their books.   I’ve seen them help people to get to grips with the computer.   When I phone to inquire for  a particular book they’ll search it out and keep it aside for me.   If they don’t have it, they’ll check to see if it’s  available in another branch.  They can always offer useful research suggestions.   On one  occasion Michael went home, at his lunch hour, and brought  me  one of his own books because  he thought it would help my research.

THEIR NAMES ARE :                                                                                                                                                                           MICHAEL   FIONA   KATE   ROBERT  RUTH.                                                                                                                                                                         

These wonderful people  are Public Servants.  They work hard to provide a superb service despite the cutbacks.   It is outrageous that they and other hard-working Public Servants are being villified on radio, television and the newspapers by the public who don’t know what they’re talking about and  by politicians who ought to.   

Without our Public Servants the country would grind to a halt.     Most of them are earning modest salaries.   There are  Public Servants  handing out more money to individual Welfare recipients than they themselves  are earning .   If you don’t believe me look it up.    Salaries for the Public Service are available to the  public. 

And yes, there are individuals who don’t pull their weight but that’s equally true of the private sector.   Have you never been ignored by the staff in a shop?  Been given the wrong order?  Encountered poor workmanship, sloppy service, misinformation  and a zillion other problems in private business?   Of course you have.

If we want a good public service then we need to cherish those who deliver it.