[WEB4LIB] Re: Google Answers questions

[gwasdin at nypl.org]

Hmmm....perhaps.  But haven't you noticed that more and more people who may
not necessarily "have" the money to spend, are spending it anyway on things
they can get for free?

I think we have much to learn from places like Google (and on a similar
level, Amazon/Barnes and Noble).  Why ARE people paying them money for
things they can get for free at a library?  Is it that they do not know?
Or is it the convenience factor?   What could we do differently that would
let people know what we can do here at a library?  How could we make
ourselves more convenient to compete?  (24/7 reference for instance)

I do agree that we will always (maybe?) have a place in serving those who
cannot afford to pay, but I also think we have to worry about keeping those
patrons who CAN pay....we need them both, in large numbers!  Some would
argue that we need those who can pay even more so, as they are more likely
to be the ones who control, or have a voice in, public funding and support.

Do I have a point?  Not sure...I guess that I feel we just can't continue
to use the "but we're free" argument.  being free is not enough to keep
them coming.

Gary



Gary A. Wasdin
Training Coordinator
Celeste Bartos Education Center
Humanities and Social Sciences Library
The New York Public Library
New York, NY  10018-2788
212-930-9284
gwasdin at nypl.org

Visit us online at www.nypl.org/humanities/southcourt


                                                                                                                                        
                      "William M.                                                                                                       
                      Wines"                   To:       Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>                     
                      <wwines at tln.lib.m        cc:                                                                                      
                      i.us>                    Subject:  [WEB4LIB] Re: Google Answers questions                                         
                      Sent by:                                                                                                          
                      web4lib at sunsite.b                                                                                                 
                      erkeley.edu                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        
                      05/22/2002 01:14                                                                                                  
                      AM                                                                                                                
                      Please respond to                                                                                                 
                      wwines                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                        




On Tue, 21 May 2002, Richard Wiggins wrote:

> In any event, I dunno folks, but I think Google is onto something.

Well, maybe, but in terms of cost to the end-user, in nearly all cases, a
consultation with a reference librarian is free; and I'm not sure how many
people really care if they get footnotes and citations as long as they get
an answer to their question along with a single credible and reliable (and
cited) source.

What Google is on to (and I'm not dissing them for this by any means) is
another slick way to extract money from people who have money to spend.  I
don't think it's all that important for public libraries to spend a lot of
time worrying about how they can compete with private enterprise.  OTOH, I
think it is very important to spend more time thinking about how we can
reach out to people who don't have $20 to spend finding out about
helipcopter sorties over the Grand Canyon.

-----------------------------
Bill Wines
Assistant Director
Walled Lake City Library
1499 E. West Maple Rd.
Walled Lake, MI 48390
(248) 624-3772
http://walled-lake.lib.mi.us
-----------------------------