 |
 |
No disrespect to Amanda but the fact that she is actually asking this question in the way she has is an indictment against her manager for not instilling in her that library staff have a duty to provide help and support for library users to maximise the resources provided by the library. Others on the list have already articulated why this is important so I won't repeat the arguments. There is something seriously wrong with a profession which can't see the writing on the wall and act accordingly. One of our key roles in the future (if we are not already doing so) is providing training and guidance on information literacy skills. The best way to do this is through the interests of the user ie holidays, insurance and other key events in their lives - once they feel confident in dealing with these events they will come back for more. Philip Wark Library Services Manager Midlothian Council - Education and Children's Services Library HQ 2 Clerk Street Loanhead Midlothian EH20 9DR tel: 0131 271 3971 fax: 0131 440 4635 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Diana Nutting Sent: 19 March 2012 12:16 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: IT in the library I found this question a little depressing. When I was a young librarian we helped people use photocopiers and microfilm readers. Of course it's part of the job. The job is to facilitate access information which is in the public domain in whatever form it happens to occur. And a useful spin off is that such helpfulness will encourage people to be positive about the necessity for libraries, which at present is absolutely key. From: "Riddick, Amanda" <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Sunday, 18 March 2012, 18:44 Subject: IT in the library Hi, The other day, during a very quiet time at the library, I spent a good 20 minutes helping a customer with checking-in online and printing out her boarding passes and car hire insurance, and that wasn't the first time I've helped people with IT stuff that isn't to do with the library (eg formatting, saving onto USB stick, selecting the colour printer). Do you find that you and/or your colleagues get involved with what I'd call "informal IT", ie dealing with IT queries that are unrelated to your library's services and that take place outside formal IT classes? Do you feel resentful about it, that it's taking you away from what you're really there to do, or don't mind doing this as part of your job? I'd appreciate any feedback, but I will probably be writing an essay about this and may want to quote you (with due references and all, of course), so please let me know if you're OK about that or not. thanks and best wishes, Amanda Riddick Library Assistant MA Student, Library and Information Studies, University College London Click here<https://www.mailcontrol.com/sr/wQw0zmjPoHdJTZGyOCrrhg==> to report this email as spam. =========================================================================== The information contained in this message may be confidential or legally privileged and is intended for the addressee only. If you have received this message in error or there are any problems please notify the originator immediately. If you are not the intended recipient you should not use, disclose, distribute, copy, print, or rely on this e-mail. All communication sent to or from Midlothian Council may be subject to recording and/or monitoring in accordance with relevant legislation. =========================================================================== This message has been scanned for malware by Websense. www.websense.com