Week 2 Readings

Bell, Steven J

Submit or Resist: Librarianship in the Age of Google

In this article, Bell discusses the idea that librarians are being forced to choose between making their search systems as simplistic as Google, or risk becoming obsolete.  He claims that there is a middle ground, in which we adapt more complex search systems to a simple layout and pair it with user education.  

I completely agree with this idea of combining adapting technology with older research styles.  Maybe we can have our cake and eat it too.  I don't necessarily think that "Google Migration", in which we link our library resources to GoogleScholar would be a bad idea, either. It seems to me that librarians are viewing this as an either-or issue, when we can simply do both.  Resources that can be made more widely accessible to a less skilled user base, should be, while librarians will still be able to help manage and educate users about these and other resources.  I do feel like Bell is a little bit didactic and assumes too much about what a patron/user needs, a concept I read about in 

Saricks, J.G. (2005). Readers' advisory service in the public library. Chicago: American Library Association. Read "Chapter 1: A history and introduction" (pgs. 1-13). [reserve in Kent Cooper Room:Z711.4 .S24 2005] 

in that he assumes that everyone need a certain level of research skills.  While of course it would be handy and ideal for everyone to use a better tool than Google, for some it is impractical.  Kennedy writes more on this.

Cart, Michael

What Literature?

This article briefly discussed the decline of children's literature (as seen in 1993) with regard to length and content.

I'm not sure the contents of this article were still relevant, considering it was written almost 25 years ago. From my perspective, children's books have increased in length and complexity.  Harry Potter is a prime example of this, or Percy Jackson.  Those books are quite thick and children love them.  Harry Potter has   complex underlying themes (some say), such as racism, and Percy Jackson refers to Greek Mythology.  Although attention spans are said to be diminishing, I don't think that Children's books are in particular danger right now.  Picture books, are another matter.

Isaacson, D.

Let them Steal Books

Isaacson believes that it is abhorrent for Professors, Librarians, and lazy people to steal books.  She argues, however, that "dreamers" should be treated with leniency, because it's the ideas  they are trying to steal rather than the physical books.

I really did not like or agree with this article.  It seems to me that Isaacson must be one of these dreamers.  I found it difficult to distinguish "dreamers" from people who were too lazy to follow the rules.  If we do not hold everyone to the same essential rules, we will be showing an extreme bias.  How do we know that a professor  who steals a book didn't simply "forget" to check it out?  

I'm not a terrible person.  if someone told me they forgot to check a book out and the alarms went off, I would give them the benefit of the doubt and give them a warning.  After that, regardless of their personality, they would have to pay the fine or accept the penalty.

I did like Isaacson's idea about a take one leave one shelf, or freebie desk.  Many libraries already have a version of this where they charge a drastically reduced price for old books and use the proceeds for library programs.  

Kennedy, S.D.

Give Them What They Want

Kennedy presents an alternative view to Bell's article "Submit or Resist ...".  She asserts that some users don't need the search skills Bell wants to provide, and that Google is often a good option for them.  

 I agreed with Kennedy that all users are different, and Google should be made one of the sources librarians and users have access to.  Not ever user wants to learn, and who are we to force them?  Skills that are relevant to one person are not so for another.  I worked in a public library for a year, and the reference desk was often used for computer help.  If a user had trouble with a search, they would come to me for help (sometimes).  Many of them did not want a step-by-step guide to all the ways they could get to their information.  They just wanted the information.

Standards of Eligibility to Receive State Funds. Indiana Administrative 

Code Title 590, Article 6, Rule 1.

This link outlined the rules public libraries have to follow in order to receive state funding.

While I did not find this document reader-friendly, it was very detailed and would be an excellent guide for a library seeking this assistance.  By creating a  baseline of service requirements, the idea is that all public libraries will be held to a higher standard.  It may also mean that many libraries will become like carbon copies of one another, which isn't necessarily a good thing.  in my Collections Development class, last semester, we debated the benefit of having so many similar libraries as opposed to consortia.  I'm on the fence between these ideas.