> [Rob again]
> (snip) Whenever I'm away from base I look for an internet cafe
> or
> easy everything to log on and check my email. I don't go to a library,
> because I expect to come across barriers such as this.
Personally, I'd be quite prepared to forgo collecting statistics if we were
allowed to charge for the service and operate in a commercially competitive
environment. Whichever approach is taken, there is a barrier to use -
either financial or procedural. We have to work within the environment
that is set for us by those investing in our services, so it is up to us to
reduce those barriers as much as we can.
I would also like to point out that any bad humour on my part has probably
got everything to do with England not maintaining that lead against Brazil!
Paul Harrison, People's Network Project Manager, Norfolk Library and
Information Service
Room 043, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich NR1 2DH
Tel: 01603 222580 Fax: 01603 222422
http://www.library.norfolk.gov.uk
On Fri, 21 Jun 2002 10:05:18 +0100, Steven Heywood
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Well, Rob, looks like it's only thee and me with our Out Of Office
Assistant
>turned off! (-:
>
>Steven
>
>Steven Heywood
>Systems Manager
>Rochdale Library Service
>Wheatsheaf Library
>Baillie Street
>Rochdale, England OL16 1JZ
>Tel: 01706 864967
>Fax: 01706 864992
>
>It's summer time on the Page o'Fun. Mind you don't get your feet wet!
>http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/living/libraries.asp?url=pageOfFun
>
>
>> ----------
>> From: Steven Heywood[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>> Reply To: Steven Heywood
>> Sent: 21 June 2002 09:48
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: access to PCs
>>
>> Not quite a rant. I'm still glowing with our winning a test series. (-:
>>
>> > <<<"Personally I would like to see all users registering in one form or
>> > another here. This is driven by the need to gather accurate stats for
>> our
>> > PI's and such like">>>
>> >
>> [Rob McInroy]
>> > What are we here for, to serve people or gather statistics? Talk about
>> > being process driven.
>> >
>> <<<"Nevertheless, is it too much to ask someone to join, to give
>> just a minimum amount of information, in order to be counted ?
>> Particularly
>> as counting is a statutory requirement ?">>>
>>
>> [Rob again]
>> Yes, in many cases it is too much. What about asylum seekers?
What
>> about foreign visitors? What about holidaymakers? What about people out
of
>> town on business? Whenever I'm away from base I look for an internet cafe
>> or
>> easy everything to log on and check my email. I don't go to a library,
>> because I expect to come across barriers such as this.
>>
>> Yes but and yes but. Unfortunately, yet again we're between a rock and a
>> hard place. The very people who require us to focus on the customer
>> experience are the ones who require us to interfere with it by monitoring
>> every breath the poor beggars take. If it's not quantatitively measurable
>> and put down in triplicate it doesn't count for anything.
>>
>> [Rob again]
>> > Until we resolve this, until we lighten up, anally retentive librarians
>> > who insist on putting barriers in the way of people using their
services
>> > are presiding over the slow death of public libraries. People will vote
>> > with their feet...
>> >
>> It's up to us to strike a sensible balance. There are ways of monitoring
>> use
>> without requiring registration. The easiest methodologies involve setting
>> up
>> pseudopatrons - anonymous guests on your system - which can have whatever
>> characteristics you deem appropriate. You get your detailed stats, your
>> customer gets an unhundered service with no form-filling required.
>>
>> But librarians do love their bits of paper... We've had fully-automated
>> reservations for twelve years and I'm still lobbying to get shut of the
>> reservation cards!
>>
>> Steven
>>
>> Steven Heywood
>> Systems Manager
>> Rochdale Library Service
>> Wheatsheaf Library
>> Baillie Street
>> Rochdale, England OL16 1JZ
>> Tel: 01706 864967
>> Fax: 01706 864992
>>
>> It's summer time on the Page o'Fun. Mind you don't get your feet wet!
>> http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/living/libraries.asp?url=pageOfFun
>>
> [Rob again]
> (snip) Whenever I'm away from base I look for an internet cafe
> or
> easy everything to log on and check my email. I don't go to a library,
> because I expect to come across barriers such as this.
Personally, I'd be quite happy to forgo collecting statistics if we were
allowed to charge for the service and operate in a commercially competitive
environment with internet cafes. The business would then stand or fall on
the revenue generated.
Failing that we need to come up with other ways to justify why we should be
given large slices of public money to invest in this service. As a tax
payer I would not expect any public service to be funded without having to
account for the way that the money was spent, and anecdotal evidence just
isn't enough.
Either way, there is a barrier to use - either financial or procedural. We
have to work within the environment we are given, so it is up to us to
reduce those barriers as much as we can.
I would also like to point out that my bad humour has probably got
everything to do with England not maintaining that lead against Brazil!
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