>Again, I posit that the primary user's of "catalogs" is not the
>librarians. We can not be all things to all people. We have limited
>resources. We must set priorities. There can only be one primary set
>of users.
>--
>Eric Lease Morgan
>University Libraries of Notre Dame
Why can there only be one primary set of users? I have to seek items,
either owned or leased, that are listed in our online catalogs. I do it
for myself, or for users. But I still search the catalog.
If there can only be one primary set of users, then the definition of
"user" needs to be inclusive enough to include us folks who happen to
also catalog (and do reference, and outreach, and pr, and
correspondence, and tours, and classes, and research)
The "catalog" - whatever you plan to define it as - has a job to do.
It is to connect an "information unit" (book, article, database,
whatever), with a "user" (person using the catalog to locate the
information unit, regardless of what their background or job title may
be)
Edward
Edward Hoyenski
Assistant Curator
Rare Book & Texana Collections
University of North Texas Libraries
ehoyensk_at_library.unt.edu
940-565-2769
940-565-2599
P.O. Box 305190
Denton, TX 76203
Received on Wed Jun 07 2006 - 10:35:03 EDT