[10799] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Introducing the Internet to Public Libraries
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Fri Nov 8 20:44:48 1996
Date: Fri, 08 Nov 1996 19:27:43 -0600 (CST)
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
7 Messages, 285 Lines
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From: "Guy Aron" <guya@library.lib.rmit.edu.au>
Organization: RMIT Libraries
To: PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 13:37:34 -1000
Subject: Re: Introducing Internet in the Public Library
Re Mike Currie's recent post:
> Given that:
> 1. Many studies and personal experience verify the aversion many women have
> for technology;
> 2. The staff of the library is 90% female;
> 3. Circulation and reference staff are expected to become advocates and
> facilitators of public internet use in their branches;
> I am interested in the implications for internet introduction and staff
> training.
I admire Mike's courage in raising this issue, but my experience is
that it isn't as simple as all that. The syllogism would seem to go:
1) women (in general) are unconfident with technology than men
2) most librarians are women
3) therefore most librarians are unconfident with technology.
My experience does not accord with this conclusion - I feel there are
other factors at work.
I feel that the technologies with which women are unconfident are
unfamiliar ones. Women who work at home routinely use a whole lot
of technologies; so do women who work in offices; so do women
who work in libraries. Men might be more confident with machines
with which they *aren't* familiar, and perhaps be more likely to
wreck. Women in a mixed work group might therefore defer to men for
this reason (mistakenly, in my view), or find that men ignore their
suggestions. I haven't, however, seen women hang back from using technologies
in which they've been adequately trained.
It is an interesting question, and I'm glad Mike decided to run the risk of a
flame; these things are worth raising.
Guy Aron
Business Information and Database Management
RMIT Libraries
GPO Box 2476V
Melbourne Victoria 3001
AUSTRALIA
(03) 9660-2440 or 9660-5692
guya@library.lib.rmit.edu.au
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'A vase gives shape to the void and music to silence' (Georges Braque).
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Date: Thu, 7 Nov 1996 23:06:23 -0400
To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
From: kgs@bluehighways.com (Karen G. Schneider)
Subject: Re: Introducing Internet in the Public Library
One idea, Mike, is to let these women know in no uncertain terms that you
believe their gender is directly related to their computing "aversion."
This alone may prove a motivating factor for a significant percentage of
these librarians, assuming that your conclusions are valid and are not
based on confounding variables such as lack of training, equipment, or
network connectivity.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Karen G. Schneider * kgs@bluehighways.com * schneider.karen@epamail.epa.gov
Author, The Internet Access Cookbook (e-mail Neal-Schuman@icm.com)
Director, US EPA Region 2 Library * Cybrarian * Columnist, American Libraries
Visit our library at our new URL: http://www.epa.gov/Region2/library/
These opinions strictly mine!
*-----
Date: Thu, 07 Nov 1996 23:22:19 EST
From: jahb@Lehigh.EDU (Jennifer Heise)
Subject: Re: Introducing Internet in the Public Library
To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Assuming Mike Currie is not a troll...
Maybe he should take another look at the studies. Men supposedly like
technology for technology's sake; women supposedly like technology when it
makes their job easier.
If you want to get library staff, in general, involved in advocating
technology:
* Make it good, easy to use technology. The harder it is to explain and use,
the less people will want to introduce users to it!
* Don't make it a toy-- show your staff how they can help users find what
they need. This means doing demos that don't concentrate on animated gifs
and kewl sites attractive to adolescent males (and adolescent-minded
males), but on sites that give answers to questions people have.
* Involve people in the technology, don't impose it on them. Ask your staff
what they want to know, what questions they hope the technology will help
with. Have them construct bookmark lists, etc.
* Support your technology. Wunderkind systems people tend to install
something, then be off installing something else when the staff need the
installation fixed because it broke or something went wrong.
* Vandal-proof. Nothing's as discouraging as having to shut down the
installation and wait for systems people while users pile up.
* And oh yeah-- Drop the sexist attitude.
Jennifer Heise, Net: jahb@lehigh.edu
Senior Specialist, Information Management (Web Manager) Phone:(610)758-3072
Fairchild-Martindale Library #8A, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015
My opinions are my own. No one else would HAVE them anyway.
"Every human has a zone in which he is neither too close nor too distant for
easy conversation, but comfortable. This zone varies from one culture to
another and when men of two cultures meet, one may place himself on the far
side of a desk in order to be at ease, and the other may unconciously climb
over the desk in pursuit of greater intimacy." - Alexei Panshin
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Date: Thu, 07 Nov 1996 22:31:37 -0700
From: Dan Lester <dlester@bsu.idbsu.edu>
To: PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU
Subject: Introducing Internet in the Public Library -Reply
As Information Services Librarian for a large public library
(100 staff and
20 branches), I am responsible for both internet
implementation and training coordination. Given that:
------------------------
None of this is a given. Don't let yourself get locked into all
this ancient nonsense.
================================
1. Many studies and personal experience verify the aversion
many women have for technology;
--------------------------------------------
And many studies contradict this, or indicate that the only
reason that they have the aversion is because they've been
TAUGHT to have this aversion. Acculturation is
powerful...and the older you are, the more powerful it is. If
you start out with this as a given, as a negative, you're
guaranteed to fail. I know. I've been doing this very job
you're describing for thirty years. Forget the nonsense, and
don't let yourself be brainwashed.
==================================
2. The staff of the library is 90% female;
-----------------------------------------
Big deal. Turn that into an advantage. Let them know that
they can handle the technology, don't talk down to them,
don't insult them or treat them as less than the men, as less
than competent, etc. In addition, what you're teaching them
is hardly rocket science (and women can do THAT too). It is
certainly no more complex than the online circulation system
they probably use daily, or than the word processing they
probably use daily. If they say "I'm a woman, I can't" (which
I'll bet DAMN few will say in public, particularly if the
audience is mostly women), let them know that YOU know
they can do it, that they're no less competent to click on web
pages, to boot computers, etc, etc, than anyone else.
==========================
3. Circulation and reference staff are expected to become
advocates and facilitators of public internet use in their
branches;
------------------------------------------
Good. And treat them that way--as advocates. If you
convince them that THEY are too dumb, you can be sure
that they'll treat the poor patrons the same way.
I work with both genders in just such a position. Sure, some
women don't want to change, don't want to use technology.
But AT LEAST as large a percentage of men feel the same
way. I'm sure that the many women on this list will have
plenty of comments for you too. o-) (and, I'll bet some of
them are less polite than I've been)
====================
I am interested in the implications for internet introduction
and staff training.
-----------------------------------
If they can drive a car, they can surf the internet. Remember,
they didn't use to think women could do THAT, either. And,
as thousands of kids of BOTH genders prove, driving skills
aren't a prerequisite either.
cyclops
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Date: Fri, 08 Nov 1996 14:33:47 +1000
From: "Lee Brindley (02)9333 2654" <BRINDLEY.LEE@a2.abc.net.au>
Subject: RE: Introducing Internet in the Public Library
Mr Currie,
Here are a number of methods I have used to coax women into handling
technology...
1. Paint everything pink
2. Ensure everything is sparkling clean - OOOOOOh nothing worse than a dirty
workstation. I prefer AJAX - makes nice patterns on the screen-monitor-thingy
3. Say please and thankyou alot
4. Never never raise your voice - you know how emotional we can be - especially
well you know....
4. Use alot of pictures in your documentation
I hope you can use these ideas...90% hey? My word you do have a job in front of
you.
(Ms.) Lee Brindley
Co-ordinator Technology and Systems Development
Radio Program and Information Resources
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(These are my views and not necessarily those of the organisation)
*-----
From: "KARIN E. BOREI" <KBOREI@Charity.trinityvt.edu>
Organization: Trinity College of Vermont
To: PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 09:06:31 EST
Subject: Re: Introducing Internet in the Public Library
Well, you could for starters not assume aversion as your base line!!
My experience with introducing technology in several libraries does
NOT bear out your experience - if anything, rather the opposite! But
then, we have always started from the perspective that we are
introducing a SERVICE ENHANCEMENT, a tool for people to use in their
work rather than as an end in itself. A few of the women will become
enthusiasts and will forge beyond requirements, the majority will
accept and use the tool without any particular pain or fuss, and a
scattering will resist to the end - the same break-down I find among
men.
If I were you, I would just scrap this particular worry altogether
and just concentrate on providing the most clear and enthusiastic
introduction and training possible, presenting the technology as just
another tool though one with particular advantages to their own work
and to their users.
I really can't quite believe that this question is even being
asked...
Karin Borei
Library Director
Trinity College of Vermont
Burlington, VT
*-----
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 10:02:41 EST
Subject: Re: Introducing Internet in the Public Library
I sure hope your computer is fireproofed. Some of most
technologically savvy people and heaviest users of the Internet that
I know are women. Go onto the discussion lists for the Vendor
systems or general library lists. You'll find alot of women out
there.
As to designing your training, if you make it hard and jargon laden,
no one will learn anything. If you make it understandable and easy,
almost everyone will learn the systems and some will become the
advocates you are looking for.
I will admit that the thought of going from paper to computers seems
daunting when being discussed, but the actuality is much easier. Here
at Wilson, we went from manaul typewriters for the input clerks to a
terminal/mainframe system when we computerized about 15 years ago.
While there was a period of adjustment, now, no one would willingly go
back to the old ways.
Finally, it is nice that you have two web addresses, but without an
email address in the sig, it's hard to respond directly.
Dan Robinson
Editorial Specs Specialist
H.W. Wilson Company
Bronx, NY USA
drobinson@info.hwwilson.com
