Dicey experience with some of the staff
I wanted to start with saying I did have a wonderful experience with a kind, black lady who helped me with my members card despite there being malfunctions with the printer.
However I had an awful experience with rude, passive-aggressive staff at the reader pass registration. A black man part of the staff at the readers registration area on 27 September 2025 (Saturday) was awful to this elderly man who went to the reception of this registration area. The man asked for clarification regarding a pamphlet or brochure he believed he received a few years back when registering for his pass. The staff replied saying “you’re definitely wrong, we’ve NEVER given out anything like that in the past” and when this elderly man wanted to clarify, the staff member just said “well you can think whatever you want to think. We don’t have it now”. I understand the registration area can be busy but also know the British Library is government-funded with our taxes and the workers there are compensated for their work. So I don’t understand why they act like police officers interrogating readers who come to sign up and act like they’re better than you! They really give librarians a bad image. Also seems it seems like the message the British Library wants to give is that “you’re not welcome”, and “our staff will be demeaning and rude if you don’t know everything about the library”.
When I wanted to clarify what one of the members of staff meant that I could hold a book I had requested for 3 days, he looked at me like I had eyes growing out the side of my head and said that a member of staff should have explained it when I received my pass (note: the member of staff that did my registration was also very rude- and I was so envious of the person at the desk next to me that had a wonderful kind man doing their registration!). He did go on to clarify that you could ask the staff in reading rooms to hold your books up for three days after your collection and session as I just stared at him in disbelief (I was shocked he looked so offended I wanted to clarify something!)
Also as it was my first time at the British Library I had no idea apart from reading on the website that the collections were all held in the Reading Rooms that this is not an open library or a lending library and wanted to clarify that, but I guess the staff were too snooty. Also, do know they give you looks if you say you’re not in for academic research or manuscripts, as I mistakenly happily said I was just here for “general reading” and they got so huffy like I was beneath them when they were explaining to me about requesting books. People that are so mean when they’re at their jobs they’re PAID for must be miserable doing their work and like to make you feel like they’re the ones paying you? Mind you, it was NOT busy! Not even close to a retail store even on a random 11am weekday.
I always try to be as nice as possible to strangers and people I interact with, and these interactions just make me feel awful about myself- I think that’s what the library staff want. I think the British Library can do better than snooty staff with an inferiority complex!!
