>>> Eric Lease Morgan <emorgan_at_ND.EDU> 01/19/07 3:17 PM >>>
"For most patrons I suspect they want to enter a few words into a
search box, expect the computer to read their mind, get back a list
of things that enable them to get their work done more quickly, and
go merrily on their way. I doubt they care about data formats, the
words are used to describe things, whether or not it uses Boolean
logic or relevancy ranking to sort items, etc. As long as it meets
their needs & expectations they probably don't care."
Well, gee, isn't data formats, boolean logic or relevancy rankings,
etc., the things WE care about, in order to create the systems that WILL
let the patrons get what they want in the way they want them? Contrary
to the beliefs of some people (including some of the people we all work
with!), these things do not happen by magic. They happen because we
have set up the proper infrastructure to make them happen. We don't
care about these things becuase users do, we care about them so users
won't have to.
"A library catalog is a small part of the patron's Information Universe.
Alas."
Hmm, well that's another thing. Certainly a library catalog is a small
part of the patron's information universe, and I'm not sure that's an
'alas'. The question is: Are the resources 'controlled' by the library
catalog an _important_ part of the patron's informatoin universe? If
not, _could/should_ they be? Those of us working on making a library
catalog better---that is, working on the creation and improvement of an
infrastructure to allow the resources controlled by today's library
catalogs to be presented to users in a way that meets their needs an
expectations--we think that this would be a very important and valuable
part of many user's information universe if it we could make it work
right. (Although certainly never again the entirety of it, and that's
not a bad thing).
Are you instead suggesting that energy spent on making these resources
more findable to the user in ways that meet the users needs and
expectations--is energy mis-spent?
Jonathan
Received on Sat Jan 20 2007 - 00:42:02 EST