Heinrich Kuhn said:
"The *main* thing in many libraries IMO is lack of user participation in shaping the libraries' goals and visions."
I'd have to agree with this. I worked in/with libraries for 35 years before my retirement, with the bulk of that time dealing with various aspects of library technology. During that time I worked on more RFPs than most people have, and I tended to think of library systems as being developed BY librarians, FOR librarians.
Now, don't get me wrong...there's nothing wrong with making sure that library systems work for librarians. It's an important component of library systems design. But I don't think enough emphasis is placed on making sure that library systems work for library users. It's almost as if librarians subconsciously think "if it works for us, it will work for the users".
Bernie Sloan
Sora Associates
Bloomington, IN
--- On Wed, 2/11/09, Heinrich C. Kuhn <hck_at_lrz.uni-muenchen.de> wrote:
From: Heinrich C. Kuhn <hck_at_lrz.uni-muenchen.de>
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Does cataloging have value?
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 9:05 AM
> I'm left wondering, does anybody out there (other than
> catalogers) value anything that catalogers do?
Well, have a look at the hits your catalogue gets and the uses
people make of it: and you'll see that lots of people do use
your catalogue as an instrument leading them to literature.
So: it obviously works. And it does work because of the
cataloguers' work.
> Or are catalogers the
> main thing holding libraries back in this day and age?
Are you talking about those shaping and pushing RDA?
Or about those who tend to insist that cataloguing should continue
to be done as it was done 20 years ago?
I both cases: I'd say: they are not "the *main* thing holding
libraries back", but, well, ... .
The *main* thing in many libraries IMO is lack of user
participation in shaping the libraries' goals and visions.
Regards
Heinrich
+----------------------------------------------
| Dr. Heinrich C. Kuhn
| Seminar fuer Geistesgeschichte und
| Philosophie der Renaissance
| Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen
| D-80539 Muenchen / Ludwigstr. 31
| T.: +49-89-2180 2018, F.: +49-89-2180 2907
| http://www.phil-hum-ren.uni-muenchen.de/
+----------------------------------------------
Received on Wed Feb 11 2009 - 17:15:45 EST