On Making Exceptions
There's nothing wrong with making exceptions to rules -- as long as the exceptions are based on clear and fair principles, consistently applied.
One of the most frequent and potentially vexing questions a library leader faces is “When do we make exceptions to rules?”
It’s a tough question in any organization, but maybe especially so in an organization that is constitutionally designed for the establishment and strict application of rules. Whether they be cataloging standards or circulation policies or restrictions on food or talking, rules can seem like the lifeblood of the library – the things that make it possible for us to serve our patrons well, and without which chaos would engulf the organization and render it useful to no one.
And honestly, I agree with that sentiment 100%. In the library, rules are not just important – they’re essential.
And yet, we all know there are times when exceptions have to be made. Circumstances regularly arise for which the rules simply don’t provide because we couldn’t have foreseen them. In such moments, the difficult questions we face are: