[Publib] re Information literacy

[Anne Gometz]

Having changed from an academic to a public library some years back, 
it's embarrassing to admit how long it took me to realize that many of 
our patrons who "just can't do computers" or "don't have my glasses" 
were concealing the fact that they can't read well enough to deal with 
online tools.  That's one problem an academic librarian doesn't 
ordinarily run into.  So we demonstrate how to use the online catalog if 
a person shows interest, but we don't make an issue of it.  It's more 
important to hand them what they need.  (Or to talk them out of faxing 
their license and personal info to the person who called and told them 
they won the Spanish lottery.  We seem to spend a lot of time on this one.)
     Anne Gometz
     Gastonia NC
"Mine and mine alone."