We're just technologically impaired

We've had an official complaint from a customer that a microfiche reader has been out of order for weeks. Which came as a bit of a surprise as we didn't think there was a microfiche reader anywhere except the Heritage Studies Centre in Sheep City. It turns out that the fiche reader's up in the reference library, where it's been made available to customers to look up titles in Books In Print.

We haven't bought a fiche copy of Books In Print since 1997.

Ever since then we've been using online resources, which cost the same but are regularly updated.

Maisie is told to try and get a new light bulb for the fiche reader. She finds it and it's horribly expensive. She girds her loins and prepares to go to ask T.Aldous for a cost code.

"How much?" I ask.

She tells me. I suck my teeth and explain what the fiche reader's used for. She goes and asks T.Aldous for the cost code. And tells him what the fiche reader is used for.

"Are they really letting customers use the fiche reader to look up Books In Print?" he asks me.

"Yes."

"How old is that copy of Books In Print?"

"Well before the millennium. We've not bought one for at least a dozen years."

"What on earth do they think they're doing inflicting antediluvian old stuff like that on their customers? You are sure about the fiche?"

"I honestly didn't think they still had it."

"Oh, they hang onto everything regardless," he said, stalking off.

Half an hour later he's back downstairs, a broken fiche reader in one hand and a set of the 1997 Books In Print fiches. After a brief 'phone call he comes out to talk to Maisie.

"'Phone this customer and tell him that we're happy to give him this set of fiches and that Sheep City are happy for him to pop in to use their reader to read them."

Bravo, T.Aldous!