[13461] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Reference Librarians vs. Search Engines
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Robert Cunnew)
Mon Aug 7 20:03:15 2000
Date: Sun, 06 Aug 2000 20:29:14 +0100
From: Robert Cunnew <robert@CUNNEW.DEMON.CO.UK>
In-reply-to: <4.2.0.58.20000802211620.00949ed0@casbah.it.northwestern.edu>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
Message-id: <YObtwKAKybj5Ew3K@cnnw.fsnet.co.uk>
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In article <4.2.0.58.20000802211620.00949ed0@casbah.it.northwestern.edu>
, Lloyd Davidson <ldavids@NORTHWESTERN.EDU> writes
>While you may not get exactly the answer you want from a
>computer, at least no other person knows how many times you have stumbled
>in getting it or how foolish your question might have been to begin
>with. Your self esteem emerges intact, even when you fail.
Thank you Lloyd for pointing out that these psychological factors are
often the most important in apparently straightforward decisions.
However, it does depend on the mind-set of your users; there are some
who regard it as demeaning to do the messy business themselves of
digging out the books they need and who will *require* of library staff
that they do it for them.
>Given this,
>and given a choice, it is inevitable that machines will replace humans as
>providers of information and even knowledge, as long as any semblance of
>what you need to know can be made available through such an impersonal,
>non-judgmental resource.
Alternatively more human effort will be directed towards building up
systematically organised and searchable resources (eg OPACs and
directories like Yahoo) which users can then access themselves. I
incline to the view that a library enquiry can represent a *failure* on
the part of the library - eg a difficult-to-use OPAC or poor
signposting, Try taking down all the signs in your library: it will do
wonders for your enquiry statistics.
--
Robert Cunnew
Librarian, Chartered Insurance Institute, London
This is a personal communication which does not necessarily
reflect the views and opinions of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
