[Libs-Or] Interesting piece: “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you…”

Tue Aug 2 09:32:01 PDT 2011

The publishing/collection aspect is a tough one, especially as our budgets
continue to shrink.  The technical piece, however, is much simpler. All of
these seemingly technical questions are still reference questions.  No one
does a reference interview better than a librarian, and we are the best a
sussing out the best possible resource.
as these are consumable devices, there are a million resources on the web
(on forums, in other libraries FAQs, etc).
It doesn't solve the issue of the original post, but it's something I find I
have to mutter to myself, with great frequency, as I strive to learn about
the latest new thing.

martha keough flotten
reference coordinator
multnomah county library
801 SW 10th ave
portland, or 97205

(office) 503.988.5218
(cell) 503.804.2178

Find MCL on the web <http://www.multcolib.org/>,
Twitter<http://twitter.com/multcolib>,
and Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/multcolib>

On Sun, Jul 31, 2011 at 6:38 PM, <lvmalo at comcast.net> wrote:

> We may also be discriminating against those librarians who cannot afford
> all the new tech toys, but are expected to know how to use them in order to
> help patrons. Ideally, librarians should be thoroughly trained, on devices
> purchased and maintained solely for staff training, before we start lending
> similar devices to the public.
>
>
>
> This is library-dependent, of course - not all libraries' demographics
> demand it. But in those communities where it's necessary, libraries need to
> think about staff training before they lend out devices to the public. It's
> not enough to put a disclaimer on the device lent to the patron
> reading,"Library staff are unable to help you with managing or using this
> device." We are trained in public PC troubleshooting and we need this
> training as well. Anything else is bad customer service.
>
>
>
>
> Thanks for allowing me to put my 2 cents worth in....
>
>
>
> L.V. Malone
>
> PDX Metro Librarian
>
> ------------------------------
>
> *From: *"Jim Knutson" <tintin at exchangenet.net>
> *To: *"Publib" <publib at webjunction.org>, "libs-or" <
> libs-or at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>, "Diedre Conkling" <diedre08 at gmail.com>
> *Cc: *"SRRT" <srrtac-l at ala.org>
> *Sent: *Saturday, July 30, 2011 9:23:10 PM
> *Subject: *Re: [Libs-Or]        Interesting piece: “I’m sorry, but I can’t
> help you…”
>
> We are experiencing discrimination against the technologically-deficient.
>
> So libraries need to get with it and lend devices to these folks. *(#3,
> below)*
>
> Are we going to provide equal access to information for all, or shrug, and
> give the response the true library spirit cannot stand giving?
>
> The whole world (the U.S., at least) is going this way, leaving behind
> those who are without. I believe soon all Medicare Summary Notices are going
> to come to Medicare beneficiaries via the web. Not online? Tough.
>
> Defy the trend, libraries. Break your neck to serve all. (Especially
> tax-supported libraries!)
>
> He huffed,
> Jim Knutson
>
> RE:
>
>
> *From:* Diedre Conkling <diedre08 at gmail.com>
> *To:* libs-or <libs-or at listsmart.osl.state.or.us> ; Publib<publib at webjunction.org>
> *Cc:* SRRT <srrtac-l at ala.org>
> *Sent:* Friday, July 29, 2011 4:54 PM
> *Subject:* [Libs-Or] Interesting piece: “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you…”
>
> GUEST BLOG: “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you…” E-only works create
> challenges for serving patrons
> Posted on July 26, 2011<http://www.districtdispatch.org/2011/07/guest-blog-%e2%80%9ci%e2%80%99m-sorry-but-i-can%e2%80%99t-help-you%e2%80%a6%e2%80%9d-e-only-works-create-challenges-for-serving-patrons/>
> by Jenni Terry <http://www.districtdispatch.org/author/jterry/>| 4
> Comments<http://www.districtdispatch.org/2011/07/guest-blog-%e2%80%9ci%e2%80%99m-sorry-but-i-can%e2%80%99t-help-you%e2%80%a6%e2%80%9d-e-only-works-create-challenges-for-serving-patrons/#comments>
> **
> *By Anne Behler<http://www.districtdispatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/ABOUT-THE-AUTHOR_Anne-Behler.pdf>
> *
> *Information Literacy Librarian
> Penn State University Libraries
> Member of OITP E-book Task Force*
>
> Uttering the words, “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you” generally goes
> against the fiber of who librarians are as a profession. Sure, there are
> circumstances in which the library is not the right service for the problem,
> but I’d be hard pressed to find a colleague who wouldn’t bend over backward
> to, at the very least, assist a person with locating the right service.
> Built on a foundation of free information to all who would seek it,
> libraries are symbols of democracy and champions of open access to all forms
> of publication. So it’s certainly a tough pill to swallow that this is a
> line that we may find ourselves uttering more frequently, thanks to the
> proliferation of books
>
>    - that are only published in electronic format
>    - and served up by accounts designed for private, individual access
>    only.
>
> Consider this encounter:
>
> One morning this week, our general reference desk received a phone call
> from an individual who was doing research. He was actually located at
> another, smaller college in the state, but his librarians could not help
> him. So he tried us (a much larger, state resource university). His basic
> problem:
>
> 1) He does not own a personal computer or electronic reader and does not
> want one.
>
> 2) He located a book through Amazon.com that he very much wanted to access
> – it’s only available in e-book format both through Amazon and Barnes &
> Noble.
>
> *3) His library does not*
>
>    - *have a device lending program,*
>    - nor does it allow installation of anything on its public-use
>    computers.
>
> Thus any proprietary software required to read an e-book was unavailable to
> him through his library.
>
> 4) He was willing to do anything so that his library could have access to
> this title and therefore lend it to him and others, such as buy the e-book
> and donate it to the collection. However, this is not possible with the
> e-book files, which are account-dependent information.
>
> 5) He was wondering whether any of the libraries involved could ILL the
> title to one another for his use (again, not possible due to account and
> device dependent information).
>
> I think you get the picture. Because this title was published in e- only
> (an author/publisher choice, no doubt) this individual who did not have
> access to personal technology devices was at a complete loss – and I was at
> a complete loss to assist him beyond giving suggestions about how he might
> borrow computers or devices to be able to download the files and read them.
> (He was also hoping to print out the book once acquired, which was not
> likely to be possible either, nor does it comply with copyright, of course).
> Or he could talk with his librarian about what specifically is required to
> be able to view the e-books on a machine at the library
>
>    - and hope that they could bend enough to let him install the viewing
>    software on one machine.
>
> He and I had a very good discussion about the issues at hand, and I think
> he went away feeling like he had something to advocate for – for himself and
> for libraries. But in that moment that he asked his question, and I tried to
> respond, I could not rely on any traditional library tools to assist him. No
> interlibrary loan, no printing, no “I’ll purchase it for the library on your
> behalf and lend it to you,” etc.
>
> Some thoughts that I hope will prompt further discussion:
>
> At lot of discussions around e-books and electronic content focus on
> marketing the e-books that people *can* access through the library, how to
> make good collection development decisions about what to purchase and how to
> negotiate fair licenses. And I’ve heard many of us acknowledge that an e-
> only library is not something that promotes access for all; print copies
> that might duplicate e-book collections are going to be with us for a long
> time to come. But this situation was a stark reminder to me that we should
> give a nod to the elephant in the room – okay, maybe just one of the many
> elephants in the room – and acknowledge and address the issue of information
> that isn’t available at all. Or rather, is only available to those who
> decide to purchase a luxury device and create an information-sharing,
> privacy-compromising account. Access to information in this environment is
> certainly not equal, and so far, there doesn’t seem to be much the library
> can do about it. Is this something we are willing to accept? If not, how can
> we speak up?
>
> *The views expressed in this guest blog post do not necessarily reflect
> that of the ALA.*
> **
>
> http://www.districtdispatch.org/2011/07/guest-blog-%E2%80%9Ci%E2%80%99m-sorry-but-i-can%E2%80%99t-help-you%E2%80%A6%E2%80%9D-e-only-works-create-challenges-for-serving-patrons/
>
> *Diedre Conkling**
> Lincoln County Library District
> P.O. Box 2027
> Newport, OR 97365
> Phone & Fax: 541-265-3066
> Work email**: **diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org*<diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org>
> *
> Home email: **diedre08 at gmail.com* <diedre08 at gmail.com>
>  WAR IS OBSOLETE<http://www.facebook.com/pages/WAR-IS-OBSOLETE/297916183027>
> Holding resentment is like eating poison and waiting for the other person
> to keel over. - Unknown Author
>
> **
> ------------------------------
>
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