[Publib] RE: Jobs and People

[Rob Amend]

I agree. We need to *make* ourselves needed, rather than convince people
that they need us. We should look around and try to offer information
solutions to groups and individuals in our communities. Rather than inviting
people to come to our libraries or to use our web sites, we should go to
their meetings and package information online in such a way that it can be
added to other sites. Local newspapers could combine library resource feeds
with their online articles so that people could locate books, articles and
laws at the library or be taken directly to the information. Local
government proceedings could be published online with background data and
information provided by the library. Health information from the library
could be added to local hospital information. To do much of this, we need to
unlock our data from the control of ILS vendors.

Sigh. Sorry for the mini-rant.

Rob Amend
Reference Librarian
rob.amend at gmail.com
blog.reftechrob.com


On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 3:51 PM, Lise Chlebanowski <
lchlebanowski at avondale.org> wrote:

>  Lisa Guidarini stated:
>
>
>
> "If we can’t identify what we do that’s beyond what the average person can
> find I think it’s tougher to seem relevant."
>
>
>
> Good point! But I would counter that the average person could do their own
> nails, clean their own house, or keep up their own yards. However, many
> people go to nail salons, pay a cleaning service or landscape company - not
> because they can't do it themselves, but because of convenience and yes,
> skill. The nail salon has hundreds of colors and comfy chairs and
> professionals who can do it better. The Cleaning service brings all their
> own stuff and gets the house cleaned in half the time the homeowner could
> and it always smells nice. The landscape company has all the tools needed to
> do the job quickly and safely.
>
>
>
> We pay for service in this country and so the library is just another
> service. Sure people can do it themselves, but a librarian can make sure
> they have authoritative sources, good solid leads and, nine times out of
> ten, will recommend an avenue that the patron had never thought to take.
> That's the coolest part! It's our job to make our libraries inviting and
> market them to show patrons that there's more to research than Google!
>
>
>
> Just my 2 cents!
>
> Lisë Chlebanowski
> Library Manager
> Sam Garcia Western Avenue Library
> 495 E. Western Ave.
> Avondale, AZ   85323
> 623-333-2611 D
> 623-333-0260 F
> lchlebanowski at avondale.org
>
> Now Reading on my Kindle: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (trying
> anyway)
> Now Reading: Bones in the Desert by Jana Bommersbach
>  Now Listening: Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
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