Gaia Cenciarelli

Review of Biblioteca nazionale centrale ...

The library, although well-stocked, is a disaster....

The library, although well-stocked, is a disaster. If not forced I would never go there. Yes, the building is new and overall well equipped considering its location, and yes, it is certainly full of material that cannot be found elsewhere.
However, there are numerous flaws that make it an unpleasant experience, starting with the parking lot. Hours are counted haphazardly, stealing quarters of an hour here and there: today I found myself without reason to pay an extra hour.
The reception is bad, the library is a riot of angry people who can't wait to lash out on the unfortunate person on duty to let off steam. I do not dwell on the age of the staff, mostly caryatids, who, with the exception of a few, are incompetent and grumpy. In all honesty, you go for the books, but if that involves being treated badly for no reason it's still not worth it.
Turning to the books, despite having called a day before to get all the information and avoid unexpected events, things went differently and it was impossible for me to take the only book that I really needed. The information, if given, is given in a hasty and superficial way. The service is slow, casual, you have to wait an hour to consult a book and two days to collect photocopies. The staff is scarce, what is left to be desired and, as if that were not enough, the operating system is far from clear and simple to use and no one is willing to give explanations.
The two stars are exclusively for books and for the only two well-informed people in there who are at least friendly.
Customer service, this illustrious unknown.