Comments on: Empirical Research and Library 2.0 http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/ Steven Chabot Sun, 20 May 2012 05:35:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Steven Chabot http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/comment-page-1/#comment-62328 Steven Chabot Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:15:47 +0000 http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/#comment-62328 Tracy, Well, I would assume that would be handled by qualified professionals, with degrees whose training emphasizes qualitative and quantitative studies of user populations, and who have a firm grounding in what it takes to live and work in a democratic society and an information economy. We give other professionals, like police and firefighters, the power to decide for us based on their training. Yes, librarians are not as critical as doctors, but we don't expect a decade of education for librarians either. As I have noted, the debate between give them what they need and give them what they want goes far back in the library literature, and it is not a debate easily solved. I think it is up to each librarian to come down in a particular place on the sliding scale between the two. As a soon-to-be academic librarian, I think that our educational imperative looms larger for me; however, the public library once had an educational imperative as well. The point I hoped I was trying to make was that it is extremely questionable that the technologies and services promoted as "Library 2.0" is either what users need or what users want. I think to many assumptions are made, and I think that needs analysis is a necessity. To that point, conducting needs analyses and implementing services is not Library 2.0, it is just good librarianship. Thank you for your comment, I think it is an important point. Tracy,

Well, I would assume that would be handled by qualified professionals, with degrees whose training emphasizes qualitative and quantitative studies of user populations, and who have a firm grounding in what it takes to live and work in a democratic society and an information economy. We give other professionals, like police and firefighters, the power to decide for us based on their training. Yes, librarians are not as critical as doctors, but we don’t expect a decade of education for librarians either.

As I have noted, the debate between give them what they need and give them what they want goes far back in the library literature, and it is not a debate easily solved. I think it is up to each librarian to come down in a particular place on the sliding scale between the two. As a soon-to-be academic librarian, I think that our educational imperative looms larger for me; however, the public library once had an educational imperative as well.

The point I hoped I was trying to make was that it is extremely questionable that the technologies and services promoted as “Library 2.0″ is either what users need or what users want. I think to many assumptions are made, and I think that needs analysis is a necessity. To that point, conducting needs analyses and implementing services is not Library 2.0, it is just good librarianship.

Thank you for your comment, I think it is an important point.

]]> By: Tracy http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/comment-page-1/#comment-62313 Tracy Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:19:36 +0000 http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/#comment-62313 Does user centric even mean giving people what they need? I thought it meant giving people what they want. There is obviously a huge difference there. And who even defines what is is that people need? Does user centric even mean giving people what they need? I thought it meant giving people what they want. There is obviously a huge difference there. And who even defines what is is that people need?

]]> By: Leo Klein http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/comment-page-1/#comment-61961 Leo Klein Tue, 06 Nov 2007 02:19:39 +0000 http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/#comment-61961 Actually the irony is, every new fashion or fad -- particularly related to technology -- has always claimed itself to be "user-centric". The lousy text-based databases we had to use in the early 90's were billed as "user-centric". Later on, Web Portals were billed as "user-centric" -- because the user could configure the entire inscrutable online gizmo to his heart's delight (provided he read the manual). There's never been a technology or service that didn't bill itself as "user-centric". Even the librarians in Alexandria, working for Pharaoh, probably thought they were "user-centric". (And who's to say they weren't?) Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Actually the irony is, every new fashion or fad — particularly related to technology — has always claimed itself to be “user-centric”.

The lousy text-based databases we had to use in the early 90′s were billed as “user-centric”. Later on, Web Portals were billed as “user-centric” — because the user could configure the entire inscrutable online gizmo to his heart’s delight (provided he read the manual).

There’s never been a technology or service that didn’t bill itself as “user-centric”. Even the librarians in Alexandria, working for Pharaoh, probably thought they were “user-centric”. (And who’s to say they weren’t?)

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

]]> By: Library 2.0 Roundup - Redux « Life as I Know It http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/comment-page-1/#comment-61875 Library 2.0 Roundup - Redux « Life as I Know It Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:07:51 +0000 http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/#comment-61875 [...] Empirical Reseach and Library 2.0 - posted on October 31, 2007 [...] [...] Empirical Reseach and Library 2.0 – posted on October 31, 2007 [...]

]]> By: Subject/Object » Blog Archive » We Know What Library 2.0 Is and Is Not, Part 2 http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/comment-page-1/#comment-61712 Subject/Object » Blog Archive » We Know What Library 2.0 Is and Is Not, Part 2 Sun, 04 Nov 2007 17:26:40 +0000 http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/#comment-61712 [...] my post on Michael Casey and Laura Savastinuk’s recent statement on Library 2.0. A blog I have just [...] [...] my post on Michael Casey and Laura Savastinuk’s recent statement on Library 2.0. A blog I have just [...]

]]> By: Steven Chabot http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/comment-page-1/#comment-61448 Steven Chabot Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:13:02 +0000 http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/#comment-61448 "Posts like the one at Library Crunch seem to muddle the discussion and end up fodder for the Annoyed Librarian." Yeah, I was thinking that or Walt Crawford. And you noticed he posted. “Posts like the one at Library Crunch seem to muddle the discussion and end up fodder for the Annoyed Librarian.”

Yeah, I was thinking that or Walt Crawford. And you noticed he posted.

]]> By: Jeff http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/comment-page-1/#comment-61032 Jeff Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:31:45 +0000 http://subjectobject.net/2007/10/31/empirical-research-and-library-20/#comment-61032 Great post! I don't like the title there either. I also think that the discussion about library 2.0 needs to be less philosophical and more practical. I created a post about it there: http://gathernodust.blogspot.com/2007/09/so-what-would-20-library-look-like.html Posts like the one at Library Crunch seem to muddle the discussion and end up fodder for the Annoyed Librarian. Great post! I don’t like the title there either. I also think that the discussion about library 2.0 needs to be less philosophical and more practical. I created a post about it there:
http://gathernodust.blogspot.com/2007/09/so-what-would-20-library-look-like.html

Posts like the one at Library Crunch seem to muddle the discussion and end up fodder for the Annoyed Librarian.

]]>