Sadly, both of these viewpoints are sort of missing the point. What is
needed /is/ entrepreneurial spirit -- we need somebody to build things that
people aren't asking for but want.
But the point is is that may or may not be social software. It may or may
not apppear like LibraryThing or any other software currently available.
To merely model after something existing that may or may not be what they
want isn't the answer.
What we're looking for is the vision-thing. Building something that makes
people go, "yeah".
And copying LT/del.icio.us/MySpace/Amazon/Google/whatever isn't
'innovative'.
It's 'playing catch up'.
Also, there's no reason to think that what works for me will work for you.
-Ross.
On 6/26/06, Jacobs, Jane W <Jane.W.Jacobs_at_queenslibrary.org> wrote:
>
> > Being reactive is not always the most successful business model...
> Trying to get ahead of the curve is one thing. However, it's worth
> remembering that we aren't (or at least most of aren't) businesses. We
> aren't bringing a product to market to maximize profit potential. In
> fact, pleasing our customers may bring us less funding, not more. We
> will ultimately be accountable to funders not customers and they are not
> really the same people. Even if being reactive is a dubious strategy,
> setting oneself up as the arbiter of what people want but aren't asking
> for is a really dangerous one. It usually leads to deciding what people
> "ought" to want, and one thing we can be sure of is that people will
> stubbornly refuse to want what they "ought" to want! (Just ask the
> publishers who've been trying to unload E-books on an unwilling public!)
>
> The "Give the people what they want" is only valid to a certain point.
> If what people want (and many of them do) is a video game/chat room, we
> would have a hard time justifying our expenditure funds in providing
> them with it.
>
> There is a difference between gossip and news, objective truth and hyped
> up fiction, fuzzy as certain vested interests and media outlets would
> like to make it. There are zillions of sources for gossip/chat and
> hyped up fiction and surely libraries don't need to be providing it. We
> need to be the place where people can measure it against reasonably
> sound facts.
>
> JJ
>
>
> **Views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent those of
> the Queens Library.**
>
> Jane Jacobs
>
> Asst. Coord., Catalog Division
>
> Queens Borough Public Library
>
> 89-11 Merrick Blvd.
>
> Jamaica, NY 11432
>
> tel.: (718) 990-0804
>
> e-mail: Jane.W.Jacobs_at_queenslibrary.org
>
> FAX. (718) 990-8566
>
>
>
>
> The information contained in this message may be privileged and
> confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is
> not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for
> delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified
> that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is
> strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error,
> please notify us immediately by replying to the message and deleting it from
> your computer.-----Original Message-----
> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Croft, Janet B.
> Sent: Monday, June 26, 2006 2:05 PM
> To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
> Subject: Re: Did you ask? Are you asking? Are we asking? (was "People v.
> Collections")
>
> Do we have to wait for them to ask? Maybe they don't know how to
> describe what they want, or don't know that we're the people to ask. If
> we wait for them to ask, someone else might do it instead of us. Maybe
> we need to think "Build it and they will come"! Being reactive is not
> always the most successful business model...
>
> Janet Brennan Croft
> Head of Access Services
> University of Oklahoma Libraries
> Bizzell 104NW
> Norman OK 73019
> 405-325-1918
> Fax 405-325-7618
> jbcroft_at_ou.edu
> http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/C/Janet.B.Croft-1/
> http://libraries.ou.edu/
> Editor of Mythlore http://www.mythsoc.org/mythlore.html
> Committee Chair, Mythcon37, http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon37.html and
> http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/C/Janet.B.Croft-1/ProgressReport1.htm
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Andrews, Mark J.
> Sent: Monday, June 26, 2006 12:53 PM
> To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
> Subject: [NGC4LIB] Did you ask? Are you asking? Are we asking? (was
> "People v. Collections")
>
> "But as this is the "next generation" isn't it time to stop thinking in
> terms of libraries altogether, and to think of an inclusive social
> network of individuals and organizations."
>
> If this is what your customers are asking for, yes. Questions:
>
> 1. Is this what your customers are, in fact, asking for?"
> 2. How do you know, did you ask them?
>
> M. Andrews
>
Received on Mon Jun 26 2006 - 23:31:48 EDT