Google Books and Reference

The future is always in the back of peoples minds and today I was wondering about the Google books project and how it might change the way I do reference. Already there have been times when a patron has been look for a certain play for example and I could not find in the library or library system but when I did a Google search the full text of the play was available online through Google Books. I think from a patron point of view this is much easier than checking an item out from the library and having to return it. Now they can simply download or print the document and they are free to make notes etc. Because of this I feel I should do these kinds of searches for patrons or explain to them this is a source they could try to use. At the same time I wonder if I am promoting something that will take patrons from the library. This is difficult for me.

Throw out perfect?

Is there a perfect answer to any question? I don’t think there is. There may be a right answer and a wrong answer, but perfect, that is another story. I think in reference services the public would be worse off if we didn’t get hung up on perfect. How many times has someone asked a question, then even after they are gone, you the librarian is still looking for a better answer or more information for your own knowledge? I think this is what makes us good at what we do. At the same time, some patrons don’t want perfect, they just want good enough, so if you cant find perfect fast enough they give up. How do we walk that thin line?

Do you have a Second Life?

For a little while I was really interested in Second Life. This is an online forum where you create an avatar and navigate a virtual world by flying. Volunteer librarians from around the world have created a library island. The most interesting thing I found when I was looking into Second Life was they have visitors in the thousands each day. I heard this in a podcast and can’t quite remember the total number they gave. I thought this related to the “Slam the boards” outreach that librarians did, only in a different way. I think that these librarians have really accepted and found a way to embrace the new technologies that surround us.

YouTube @ your library

So many young people use YouTube these days I think it is great that libraries are reaching out! I have seen tons of library promos doing everything from introducing patrons to workers to taking patrons step by step though finding a book. My favorite was about library zombies, which really worked more as a commercial for the library. You can find the video here. I think there are so many ways that libraries could embrace technology to really reach out to everyone. We really need to continue searching out technology to make our own.

Give the people what they want

I want to know how we decide what is best for a patron. They trust us for recommendations and to help them find reliable sources. Sometimes I wonder if we really do know best. There are books, great, wonderful, amazing books I have read for pleasure, which I will never recommend to a mom who is asking for a suggestion for her child. The main reason is I don’t really know that mom, I don’t know what she thinks is best for her child. Maybe there is a word in that book that I don’t look twice at which that mom doesn’t want her child reading. For example, one mom I know did not want her child to hear, read or see anyone call anyone else “stupid.” This is the thing that makes me most nervous about readers advisory. I am a fairly liberal person, I don’t think “stupid” falls into the category of “bad word.” I am waiting for the day a patron attacks, I just hope I am ready!

I think this goes along with reference questions as well. I don’t like to tell someone which is the best math book we have. I think that each math book might be the best, depending on the question. I have not read every book that exists, I can lead a patron to the math books, look though and help find the answer, but I don’t know that I feel comfortable telling them the “best” answer. I feel that has a lot to do with personal preference. Am I alone with these feelings?

Give them a fish, or teach them to fish?

Now that I work mainly with children answering reference questions I have a different perspective on the whole thing. Many times when answering questions for adults you can tell, they don’t want a long explanation about what you are doing and why you are doing it, they just want what you think is the best answer to their question based on the information they have given you. I know this is aggravating for many librarians because to a point only the patron can choose what the best answer is or maybe you are standing there looking through every book you can think of that might contain a picture of a bicycle wheel off the frame, while the patron is just looking over your shoulder telling you none of those pictures will work. The opposite of that seems to be true in the children’s department. Many times young patrons come to the desk and ask specifically how to find a book, not for me to show them the book. When they ask this, I try to find the least complicated explanation and give them a walk though. I wonder what kind of patrons these children will be when the move to the adult department. I also wonder if the ever evolving nature of the library confuses patrons into thinking they will never be able to find a book without the help of the librarian. Is that what we call job security?

What Story Is Your Library Telling

At the recent Illinois Library Association Conference in Springfield, the keynote speaker talked a lot about Library 2.0 and what it means to us as individuals. Something that stuck in my mind was a question he asked, “What story is your library telling?” After this he showed us signs both good and bad from libraries across the country. We all know that there is only one chance at a first impression. Putting these two ideas really made me think me about different places I have visited, including libraries. I have decided to think of every meeting I have with a patron as my chance to make that first impression. Even if that patron comes in everyday they deserve to get a smile. It also made me want to step back and think about why we do the things we do. Did we make that choice to make it easier for us or because it makes sense in the bigger picture? Reference services are one place that we can make that impression over and over again. There are some libraries where an importance is places on reference services, but if looked at closely one could see that staff is only allowed to take a short time with each reference question. I realized that If library staff is give permission to take the time and resources they need to find the whole answer that impression will be a good one every time. I have a new perspective on my job, and libraries in general!