NSW State Library

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Originally uploaded by cheryl_lynn425.

In all the excitement about Melissa planning our lives, I forgot to write about what actually happened in Sydney and the absurdity that is the NSW State Library.

When you get to the library, the security guard checks to make sure you don't have anything dangerous in your bag -- like water. (Enter flashbacks of recent flying experiences in the States.) Then you are told to put the water you are inevitably carrying because as mentioned its freakin 38 out, into a locker. Thankfully lockers are free.

So then you finally get through the security gate and are told you need to register for a card. Don't want to check something out? OK well thats fine, you still need a card. Go to the computer, answer a bunch of questions, which if you are not from Australia, you may not have answers for. Such as a work phone number or permanant address. Sigh, get all the info in there and you are given a receipt number.

Now you must take this number and your ID card to the information desk where they look you up, which takes way longer than you would think, and eventually give you a card. You look around at the world of books before you and....see 6, maybe 8 rows of books. Its less than your suburban library in the States, heck, maybe less than you own personally.

The man at the information desk will tell you that you can access those 6 or so rows of books at your liesure but anything else you want to do, like browse the online book catalogue, will require that card. But thats OK because you've got the card.

Great, sit at any computer with a green label on it and explore the online catalogue to your heart's content. If you find a book you want, write down the information on a special slip and take it to the request desk. Well can't I just go grab it off the shelf you say. No, the request desk will get it for you, in the blink of an eye, if you had really big God-sized eyes that took 20 minutes to blink. And the relaxed Aussie way of life you have come to love suddenly seems annoyingly slow.

At this point you have been at the State Library for 25 minutes and still don't have a book or even the call number for a book. You foreit and hope the 6 rows of books to your left have one or two that maybe will help you. And you think "I miss the BPL."

Luckily its a pretty good reference book selection and you find something relevant to your paper. You get the book, sit at a table, find the page with what you need and go to the photocopier. You hit copy, waiting for it to tell you how much money you need to plunk in it. And you still wait. Then the copier tells you that that button, the one that says "copy" doesn't have a function assigned to it. You feel an "Office Space" moment coming on.

At this point, you think to yourself "oh bloody hell, all this for a paper I don't want to write anyways." You copy the four sentences you needed from the book, pack up your bag, get your water out of the locker and call it a night.

The NSW State Library has lost many friends due to charades just like this. Take it from me, I've been there and I'm not going back.

Cheers mate