I'm Peeved

I go from saying nothing in eons to making two posts this afternoon. Here's the scoop...Our branch had to have new pictures taken for new IDs this afternoon. It seems we will be set up with IDs that will require us to scan into things or things that will require us to scan our IDs and therefore we will join the ranks of Lanyard People. I find this highly objectionable on so many fronts. I enjoy my name tag that says, "____ _____ Library System" and my name. It clearly identifies that I work here. I also have a gold 5-year pin that I have proudly stuck through my badge. It reflects my commitment to my job. The generic swipe ID that hangs from a lanyard does not sit prominently in a way that proclaims, "I am here so that you, Patron, might know I work here, and can identify me to help you." The swipe ID is functional for me and confusing to you. It forces people to stare and try to determine whether that person is even an employee. If the ID clips to belt it forces us to go crotch stalking. We are supposed to be more accessible to the patrons. The movement is to do away with Reference Desks yet we become anonymous in a sea of office workers wearing pass cards. Years ago when every employee in hospitals started wearing scrubs, patients began having a hard time. They reported all sorts of problems because one minute a janitor in cranberry scrubs is emptying the trash and the next a nurse in maroon scrubs is changing their dressings. Fine distinction. Then the secure pass IDs with tiny print made it impossible to know whether the approaching person was a nurse, doctor, student, volunteer, or orderly. Nothing like feeling completely out of control. So now we might be joining those ranks. I suppose we might be permitted to continue to wear our LCLS name badges until "they" decide they will no longer order them and they disappear by attrition. Perhaps I'll request a handful of replacements. At $1.00 a piece...priceless.