I wonder whether part of this isn't another "academic and public" issue, as
emerged in a related discussion on a blog.
I don't think there's much question that people would notice in a major way
if a public library closed (see Salinas, for example). I think some number
of academic librarians seem to believe that may be less true for them--and
it is true that, unlike most public libraries, some academic libraries have
seen declines in circulation.
I think the answer is still "Of course they'd notice," but if "closing the
library" doesn't also mean terminating the online services, it's a little
tougher to prove, at least at some academic libraries.
There may also be a little of that self-loathing that none of us supposedly
have...
Walt Crawford
On 6/15/06, Laura Crossett <lcrossett_at_will.state.wy.us> wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> I saw a comment earlier that "the vendors aren't giving us what we want."
> Who's fault is that? Why on earth are we waiting for the presidents of ILS
> vendors to tell us where we're going at the annual user's group meeting or
> ALA annual or mid-winter? These folks work for us, remember? We tell the
> vendors where we're going - they follow us, not the other 'way 'round.
> Ironically, this requires that we libraries and librarians need a clearer,
> crisper, measurable sense of where we're going; what I perceive as the
> historically relaxed method and pace of planning and change leaves us
> begging for crumbs year after year after year in city, county, state, school
> and higher ed budgets.
>
> Hmm . . . I think--and this is just a rough sense, from a very green
> librarian--that there are a number of people in the library world who don't
> feel they can be that demanding of their vendors. I get the sense from some
> people that we simply have to rely on vendors, because we aren't capable of
> doing the things they do, because we lack the skills, or the time, or what
> have you.
>
> NCSU). I find it at the Seattle Public Library. I find it at Bucknell
> University. Let's imitate these folks, not so much in their technology as
> in the process that led up to realizing "We need a tool that does this.
> Let's do a project." Information storage and retrieval theory, and user
> interface optimization only begin to be useful inside those projects.
>
> That's exactly what I mean--I think we do need to do a project (and get a
> barn and put on a show!), but I get a sense from some that we can't, or that
> they can't, or that it's impractical to think such things, or that, since
> the OPAC is clearly such a huge advance over the card catalog, we should
> just be happy.
>
> The next-generation catalog is a solution in search of a problem. The
> problem we're trying to solve is not entirely clear. If your library closed
> today would anyone notice? If the library had to charge for its services,
> would anyone pay? How much would they pay? What services do we need to
> stop providing? What services do we need to start providing? How do we
> make these services known? Building on past and present success, how to we
> define success today and achieve more of it?
>
> I'm happy to say that if this library closed today, a lot of people would
> notice--we're in the thick of summer reading (including the brand spankin'
> new adult summer reading program, in which you could be the lucky winner of
> a digital audio player--but only if you're a Meeteetse, WY resident with a
> library card :-) ).
>
> Laura Crossett
> Branch Manager
> Meeteetse Branch Library
> PO Box 129 / 2107 Idaho
> Meeteetse, WY 82433
> 307.868.2248
> www.parkcountylibrary.org
> AIM: theblackmollly
> Y!M: lcrossett
>
Received on Thu Jun 15 2006 - 13:34:02 EDT