Page One

Friday February 09, 2001

Consider workers at tool library 

 

Editor: 

Ever since I arrived in Berkeley three years ago, I have been extremely impressed by the existence a tool library in our great town, and also by the quality of service and assistance patrons can get there.  

When you think of it, where else than Berkeley would such a great concept as a tool library come to fruition? As if that in itself were not enough, the staff there are exceedingly helpful, conscientious, enthusiastic and good-humored people.  

I find all of Adam, Mike and Candida (and Peter, who just retired), extremely knowledgeable and always eager to help patrons with their every question, something that is increasingly rare nowadays. 

Over the past three years, with the help of these staffers, I personally have gone from a regular Mr. All-thumbs, to someone who knows basic tools and can actually fix and build things around the house, almost all of it thanks to this exceptional library. It is in fact such a subject of pride for me, as a new Berkeleyan (resident and home owner), that I actually include it on the occasional tours of Berkeley that I give to my friends and relatives who visit here.  

Truly, few local institutions represent the very spirit of Berkeley more proudly than this one.I would like to urge the Library Board to make sure to reward the very successful work consistently done by Adam,  

Mike and Candida by giving them priority, as is their due, when it comes to additional hours and benefits, before they write the job description for an additional new staffer.  

These guys are the real reason behind our tool library success and they deserve to be rewarded accordingly. 

 

Khalil Bendib,  

Berkeley