Out of curiousity, what would this generic software that will lead
libraries out of their navels and into 21st century be?
What industry doesn't have their own specialized software?
-Ross.
On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 2:26 PM, Alexander Johannesen
<alexander.johannesen_at_gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 24, 2008 at 20:05, Kevin M Kidd <kiddk_at_bc.edu> wrote:
>> I'm not sure what exactly this means - it's a distinction
>> without a difference. Why wouldn't a librarian who does
>> IT work understand that he is doing IT work?
>
> Since this really cuts to the core of the problem, let's get it out in the open;
>
> Libraries have been special for far too long, and that is why we're
> now having this conversation and why the library world is in trouble.
> An IT guy in a library is being told that he needs to make systems
> that are special for the library, and every other librarian also
> thinks the library is such a special place that software must be
> custom made, that there are no alternatives.
>
> But there are always alternatives, both on how you approach the
> problem, and also on how you deal with your own specialness.
>
> Libraries are probably best to change and compromise a little. Just
> because you like to think in terms of stacks doesn't mean you must
> have software that are written for stacks; shelves will probably do.
> Just because you call your main users patrons doesn't mean that a
> customer wouldn't do. And so on. For every problem in the ILS you will
> find an outside alternative. This is a problem of not wanting to
> change more than actually solving the problem.
>
>
> Alex
> --
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Project Wrangler, SOA, Information Alchemist, UX, RESTafarian, Topic Maps
> ------------------------------------------ http://shelter.nu/blog/ --------
>
Received on Wed Sep 24 2008 - 13:12:29 EDT