JISCMail - LIS-PUB-LIBS Archives

How annoyed would you get in any other service, pest office, careers advice, train ticket etc if you had to wait 15 minutes, and presumably hovering over the back of someone sending an email to a grandchild or whatever?>

From what I have read so far this needs some sorting out across libraries. Aidan's points (as a public library user and a librarian), are interesting, do we want to promote our stock (all of it), and if so, is there a role for dedicated access to the catalogue?

----- Original Message -----

From: [log in to unmask]>Margaret Snook

To: [log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]

Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 10:01 AM

Subject: Re: FW: Is this the end for OPACs?

We have dedicated OPACs in all our libraries - and for a short time when they weren't working due to a technical problem we did receive complaints from the public. However in the very small libraries the OPACs do often lie unused alongside over-subscribed PN computers so we are now considering allowing dual use of the OPAC computers - the public will be able to use them for 15 minutes to send emails etc. but they won't be able to book them in advance. This means that anyone coming to use the OPAC or with a stock query can either get the staff to do if for them or wait a maximum of 15 minutes to get access to the OPAC.
Margaret Snook
Greenwich Council
"Hall, Chris" wrote:
May I take the liberty of forwarding this on to lis-pub-libs? Not sure how many public librarians get to see lis-link, but apologies if I have created a deluge of duplicate postings! I would certainly be interested to see the responses.
Chris Hall
Bibliographical Services Librarian
Corporation of London Libraries
Email:[log in to unmask]
Tel: 020 7332 1075
Textphone: 020 7332 3803

-----Original Message-----
From: Aidan Turner-bishop [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 13 January 2004 18:02
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Is this the end for OPACs?
My local public library service has made a policy decision to replace
OPACs in its libraries with People's Network PCs. This means that there
are no more dedicated OPAC library catalogues in Lancashire Libraries.
If you want to to find out where a book is you have either to book a PC
- busily used by emailers and web surfers - or queue up and ask busy
library staff to tell you where you can find the book. I have been told
by the Assistant County Library Manager Resources that the decision was
taken because of "An awareness that fewer than one person in a hundred
coming into a public library would normally consult the catalogue on a
regular basis".
Now, am I just a fuddy duddy or isn't this policy just so patronising
and unhelpful, especially for local history researchers, students,
business users and many others who don't wish to be treated like
children? Is this an effective way to maximise use of the thousands of
pounds-worth of unused assets (old books) kept in reserve stocks in
public libraries? Is this Best Value? Does this improve access?
Is this excuse used elsewhere to withdraw OPACs from public use? Is
Lancashire bracingly avant-guard or has this been done elsewhere? Are
catalogues the new steam mangles? Will cataloguers soon only be seen in
folk museums, alongside cloggers and coal miners? Are they just wasting
their time? What do you think please?
Aidan Turner-Bishop
Preston, Lancashire
(and LCC council tax payer too)
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