True story. In my other life, I am finishing a degree (non-library-related)
at a respected university with what I consider a terrific library. At the
end of the semester, an investigative reporter and I co-presented on
research. I focused on the library, using a three-page handout that
described the catalog, the fabulous databases, the reference services, and a
consortium we have access to called Link+. I showed them rare videos I had
located there and how the library had retrieved articles from far, far away.
I even talked about the free wifi in the comfortable atrium and how you
could bring water into the library, and why, with some material, it's not
online and you have to go into the library (such as local newspapers).
You would have thunk I invented fire. Everything I shared with them (except
for one student who had approached me earlier in the year-interesting, came
to a friend she knew had the "library" label!) was new... and hugely
welcome. I mean, the jaws dropped, the eyes riveted.
At one point my instructor said, years ago, before the Internet, he used to
be able to call the library when he had a question. I tried very hard not to
smile when I said that was still possible... though added I was now using
email and IM, as well, which have the advantage that we could time-shift a
little, and I got transcripts to boot. That simply bowled him over.
I find that library a helpful, caring, wonderful place... but nobody knows
it. As a former (and favorite) boss of mine once said-a guy who was an
engineer, not a librarian-people have to be conditioned to use libraries.
That doesn't mean that libraries should be hard to use-just the opposite.
But people need The Message. That message becomes easier when our systems
are coherent, well-integrated, and as easy to use as is possible.
(I also showed them the Google define: function, and the domain limiter
function - e.g. "draft riots site:edu"-and that made them almost dizzy.)
Karen G. Schneider
kgs_at_bluehighways.com
Received on Thu Jun 08 2006 - 15:30:41 EDT