In reading the OCLC newsletter, the article "Away from Icebergs" by Rick Anderson shows us how to get away from "iceberg's that will hinder a library's progress into the 21st century. He says that we need to steer away from builing what he calls a "just in case collection." Now that information is digitally available and before where it was only available in print format, we don't have to build a print collection that anticipates every users needs. This idea can help libraries spend their budget efficiently on digital collections that will provide access to the information people are looking for. If your spending your collection budget on items that don't circulate and are not in demand, but your database usage is very high, wouldn't it make more sense to buy more databases or ebooks? This principal also comes into play when we weed the collection. If the item doesn't circulate and you can get it on interlibrary loan, then weed the item. (Photograph by Hordur Vilhjalmsson)
Anderson also comments about "eliminating the barriers that exist between patrons and the information they need." This is exactly why I believe learning these web 2.0 applications are so important. Librarians don't need to stick their heads in the sand. We need to learn what's available on the subjects we're trained in, learn to navigate those sites, and show people the easiest way to find what they are looking for. I would not be much help to patrons in the KR if I didn't know how to find information on Ancestry.com. That's also why I'm very excited about application tools such as Google Docs. If a patron can save it in their Google Docs account then saving it to the desk top and not having access to their item later, then make sure they know that having Google Docs is an option. As someone once told me, try to find a way to say yes and make it work before you say no.
Last but not least, Anderson says that libraries need to stay relevant with the times and to do that we need to bring our services to the patrons. Libraries "no longer have the monopoly power they had the days before the Internet. At a minimum, this means placing library services and content in the user’s preferred environment (i.e., the Web); even better, it means integrating our services into their daily patterns of work, study and play." That is why the library has made an effort to have a Myspace and Facebook page. We have to go where the people are, and they are in chatrooms, profile pages, and other virtual realities.
The library must adapt to enviromental change to stay afloat in the world of the Internet. If the library doesn't change then it will become useless to its patrons.
Anderson also comments about "eliminating the barriers that exist between patrons and the information they need." This is exactly why I believe learning these web 2.0 applications are so important. Librarians don't need to stick their heads in the sand. We need to learn what's available on the subjects we're trained in, learn to navigate those sites, and show people the easiest way to find what they are looking for. I would not be much help to patrons in the KR if I didn't know how to find information on Ancestry.com. That's also why I'm very excited about application tools such as Google Docs. If a patron can save it in their Google Docs account then saving it to the desk top and not having access to their item later, then make sure they know that having Google Docs is an option. As someone once told me, try to find a way to say yes and make it work before you say no.
Last but not least, Anderson says that libraries need to stay relevant with the times and to do that we need to bring our services to the patrons. Libraries "no longer have the monopoly power they had the days before the Internet. At a minimum, this means placing library services and content in the user’s preferred environment (i.e., the Web); even better, it means integrating our services into their daily patterns of work, study and play." That is why the library has made an effort to have a Myspace and Facebook page. We have to go where the people are, and they are in chatrooms, profile pages, and other virtual realities.
The library must adapt to enviromental change to stay afloat in the world of the Internet. If the library doesn't change then it will become useless to its patrons.
You really captured the article. Now I want to read it again.
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