Everyone Has A Wish List

A couple of months ago, I heard someone talking about a library wish list. But in the rush of things, it slipped my mind until today. I decided to check around and find out.
Of course, I started at the top and talked to our director, Melody, who admitted she has a few wishes. She said one wish has been granted already, but is not in place yet, and that's the new book drop that will be placed at the back of the library parking lot. Melody said the SPLOST funds helped with that.
Another wish she has is to have more book money from the state. (Something all librarians would want.) But her biggest wish is to have a full-time certified adult services librarian to provide more community services, workshops and seminars. She said the county has to have a population of 75,000 before we can have such a librarian, and we're only at about 43,000. Sounds like we have a long wait!
I strolled around the library and asked several staff members what is on their list. I was amazed at some of the answers:

• From Genealogy, Ann and Irene would like a reader-printer that would print a newspaper's full page. And a typewriter for where a computer can't be used. And greeting card software and a color printer.
• From Intra-Library Loan, Johnnie wishes for a redesign of the circulation counter (this was Leon's wish also); easier-to-open-and-secure entrance doors; fresh paint on the concrete walls of the main library; a flat staff parking area instead of downhill; tinted windows throughout the library to eliminate glare and heat, but still be able to see out of; more large print books; and new staff chairs. (Wheeeew!)
• From Bookkeeping, Ann wishes for a remote control for the wall air conditioner, since it's up too high for her to reach the controls; carpet and "her-height" (can you tell she's short?) painted wall shelves; and a tall silk plant for the corner-wall of her desk (we didn't say the wish list had to be entirely functional!).
• From Information Services, Jinx wishes the signs in front of the library would be repainted for easier reading and have better lighting. Aileen wishes for a laser color printer and that the auditorium was set up for a multimedia presentation system.
• From Cataloging, Monique wishes for a new chair, and more carousels for the CD books and DVDs.
• From the Children's Library, Norma and Cray wish for a color printer for the office, a non-skid library-related welcome rug, poster frames, more shelving, and the north wall painted blue and the south wall painted red. (Again, beauty is sometimes functional too!)
• From the Bookmobile, Sheila and Josh wish for another laptop and more book money. But most importantly, they would like wireless accessibility through each school's Internet to their PINES account to check on each teacher's books.
• Gail (Circulation) and Carolyn (Processing) were gone, but Sheila said she knew they would like a new laminator.

The list could go on and on, I guess. I wasn't able to catch everyone for their wish lists, but got the majority of the staff. When I started asking about wishes, I had no idea the list would be this extensive. Maybe we should post it on a wall somewhere and as each wish is granted, mark it off. Then we could say, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." (Didn't I read that somewhere in one of our library books?)