[Publib] Internet Assistance

[katnip59 at aol.com]

I second this, Sharon.  I have tried to bring this issue to the table at my library, to no avail.  We are spending huge amounts of time holding patrons' hands through various kinds of computer usage, and I don't think we are being mindful about what that means - fewer resources available to provide our other services.  Can't even get a dialogue going at my library on this issue.  And I also agree with the post about how one staff member providing more service than another is problematic.  I'd like to have a discussion about just how much we should be doing for patrons on the computer.  If I had a nickel for every person typing a resume or a letter, using spaces instead of the centering function, or the return key at the end of each line instead of letting the text wrap naturally, well let's just say I'd have a lot of nickels.  And then they call over Super Librarian to fix it.  Just what is our role here?  Don't misunderstand me - I'm happy to help, I'd just like deliberate decision-making about what is appropriate.  The library profession is changing rapidly, even in the 8 years or so since I came on the scene, and it seems that we're just letting it happen to us instead of defining for ourselves who we are. 
 
Thoughts on this, anyone?
 
Katie Bunn
Farmington CT
 
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 19:18:41 -0400
From: "Sharon Foster" <fostersm1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Publib] Internet Assistance
To: publib at webjunction.org

 I get asked to do this, much more often than I'd like, and I wish we did
have a clear policy that I could refer to. I have helped people who are
clearly incapable of doing it themselves and furthermore have no wish to
learn. For most of the rest, I'll guide them through the forms, but won't
type for them...

Part of the problem is that more and more institutions insist that all
communication must be done via their Web site, else there will be a 3 or 4
week delay in processing phone or surface mail requests.
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