Am 26.05.2011 17:41, schrieb Laval Hunsucker:
>
> The point is not that people know how libraries work
> ...
> The point is that libraries know how people work.
A populist argument of sorts. Actually, it helps both parties
to know more about the other, and the one cannot reasonably
assume to have to know or learn exactly nothing about the other.
Not being clueless about how Google actually works does give
someone an edge above others. Knowing how *some* people think
and work, namely scholars, helped libraries to create the
standards that still prevail in RDA (WEMI, in particular),
but they have also, and this is an ongoing process, learned
to use new technology (and with it, new thinking) for new and
different results and effects. Much of this is current practice,
it is only not yet widely shared knowledge and theory and not
universally practicable nor codified in cataloging rules or
laid down in standards that might be included in RFPs. This will
take more time. But by now, even LC has recognized that
'It's very important that we find a way to link library resources to the
whole world of information resources not focusing exclusively on
bibliographic information,'
Deanny Marcum in a statement about the "Bibliographic Framework
Transition Initiative"
http://www.loc.gov/marc/transition/news/framework-051311.html
And of course, "people" are a much more heterogeneous bunch
than "libraries". To know them and their ever changing needs
and moods all sufficiently well in order to serve them
all better than they (presumably) feel being served now is
beyond our capacity. We can work toward a better correlation
(and in many projects we do) but not hope to achieve a close
across-the-board approximation.
B.Eversberg
Received on Fri May 27 2011 - 02:22:00 EDT