Sometimes the simple things mean a lot

Open entering the Nevada County Public Library, the first thing I noticed were the names on the public computers--“Groucho,” “Gummo,” “Zeppo,” “Chico,” and “Harpo”-–a fun way for the patrons to select the public computer they want to use, and a great way for staff to keep track of patron usage. No numbers to remember, or tech-specific codes, just names that are memorable and offer a human aspect to a sometimes cold and distant technology. And, according to Claire Stafford, “many people didn’t realize there are five Marx brothers, so it’s educational, too!”

Marx Brothers as a playful naming system

Interestingly, there’s another layer to this nomenclature. The technical staff at the county that supports Nevada County Library insists on using a numerical code to track the computers, which exposes a user-focused dilemma: the staff at the library prefer the name-based naming system, while the technical staff that is physically housed in another building, and are not a part of the library, use the system that works for them.

But for whom should it work?

This is just one part of the complicated world of contract technical support in libraries. In my opinion (which doesn’t count—I don’t work at the library), I vote for the Marx brothers :)

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