OK, so I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that maybe catalogers aren't the best people in the world to talk about what users really need.
Maybe we need to get some more people on the NGC4LIB list who are more conversant with what library users really want and need?
Bernie Sloan
--- On Wed, 10/28/09, Miksa, Shawne <SMiksa_at_UNT.EDU> wrote:
From: Miksa, Shawne <SMiksa_at_UNT.EDU>
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] New Laws
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 6:32 PM
yes, there are. Too much to keep up with--perhaps that is why we aren't discussing them?
**************************************************************
Shawne D. Miksa, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Library and Information Sciences
College of Information
University of North Texas
email: Shawne.Miksa_at_unt.edu
http://courses.unt.edu/smiksa/index.htm
office 940-565-3560 fax 940-565-3101
**************************************************************
________________________________________
From: Next generation catalogs for libraries [NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of B.G. Sloan [bgsloan2_at_YAHOO.COM]
Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 5:30 PM
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] New Laws
Shawne Miksa said:
"Seriously, we need some hard evidence of this --again, too much generalization across the board on what we think people like or don't like. I agree with Mr. Eversberg--case studies of actual query pursuits."
Isn't there already a heck of a lot of this sort of thing in the library literature...studies of library catalog use, library database use, etc.? And isn't there also a large body of literature dealing with extra-library information seeking behavior?
--- On Wed, 10/28/09, Miksa, Shawne <SMiksa_at_UNT.EDU> wrote:
> From: Miksa, Shawne <SMiksa_at_UNT.EDU>
> Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] New Laws
> To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 5:55 PM
> James said:
>
> <snip>
> I was discussing the world-view of catalogers, who must
> look at the world beyond their local collections.
> </snip>
>
> That is an incredible disingenous statement, Mr.
> Weinheimer. Who exactly are your catalogers? Most of the
> catalogers I know look way beyond their local collections.
> My cataloging students certainly do not escape my classes
> without having that wide worldview seared into their brains.
> (Perhaps it is the administrators who are short-sighted and
> don't provide the resources to make this happen.)
>
> <snip>
> I firmly believe that a catalog should give access to
> materials in my collection. But, I also believe that an
> electronic book in the Internet Archive is just as much a
> part of my collection as some physical one on my shelves. My
> users want them; I want them. But not just books, there are
> a wondrous amount of resources out there: educational
> videos, interactive scholarly sites, and so on.
> </snip>
>
> But here is where I don't understand you---many library
> catalogs do these things already. Many academic library
> catalogs and public libraries allow users to search the
> local catalog and also a whole bevy of Electronic resources.
> Here at UNT we use a Federated Search Engine to search all
> of the journal databases at once, if so desired.
>
> <snip>
> I don't think they liked it one bit.
> <snip>
>
> Omigod, I'm gonna cry.
>
> I love having to dig up things in the library, especially
> things the old print Citation Indexes. Fascinating stuff.
> Therefore, I think people do like it.
>
> Seriously, we need some hard evidence of this --again, too
> much generalization across the board on what we think people
> like or don't like. I agree with Mr. Eversberg--case studies
> of actual query pursuits.
>
> <snip>
> When the journals first came out, librarians tried to
> catalog each article, just like a book, but it soon became
> impossible to even imagine doing so, and therefore, they
> outsourced it ...
> <snip>
>
> This issue has been around for years....Ranganathan numbers
> each section in his chapters because he wanted his works to
> be accessible on that level. If all information resources in
> the world were completely digital I could see this
> happening. But, the REALITY is that they are not. And they
> will not be for a long time. Google can throw all the money
> they want at it. It's not going to help.
>
> <snip>
> I made the following record: http://www.galileo.aur.it/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?bib=22971
> where the 856 field uses a Google query. So, I cataloged it
> as a type of collection. Quick and dirty, I admit, but
> otherwise, the materials in Google can't be found.
> </snip>
>
> Very clever. I will bring this up in class.
>
>
>
> **************************************************************
> Shawne D. Miksa, Ph.D.
> Associate Professor
> Department of Library and Information Sciences
> College of Information
> University of North Texas
> email: Shawne.Miksa_at_unt.edu
> http://courses.unt.edu/smiksa/index.htm
> office 940-565-3560 fax 940-565-3101
> **************************************************************
>
Received on Wed Oct 28 2009 - 23:40:15 EDT