Skills for reference staff

[Kathy Wheeler]

> Date:          Thu, 7 Aug 1997 11:46:13 -0700
> Reply-to:      rhartman at rain.org
> From:          Ruth Hartman - Adult Services - Ventura Library System <rhartman at rain.org>
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at library.berkeley.edu>
> Subject:       Skills for reference staff

> An interesting issue has surfaced on Cristal-ed, and I'm curious as to how
> people on this list would respond.  How much technology should a reference
> person be expected to learn?  The argument of some staff is that they need
> only be able to use the computer to access material, but anything
> "mechanical" is not their responsibility.

This argument might carry a little bit of weight  if those 
"mechanical" things didn't have a direct impact on a librarian's 
 ability to use those very same computers to access 
information.

>  Should they be expected to do maintenance, rebooting, simple repair, etc.?

I should think that they would want to do these things -- I cannot 
imagine waiting for a computer service person just to have my 
computer rebooted. Our computer department is also the entire 
campuses computer department and is not in this building. If we 
didn't do simple repair, maintenance, and installation, we'd never 
get anything done on our computers. I suspect that we are not the 
only library in this situation either. I don't know that it's 
necessary for EVERY  librarian to know these skills, but I do think 
you need one or two librarians on your staff who can do this type of 
work.

 
> 
> (:-)(;-)(:->(:+)(:-#(%-)(:-I(;-}(:-*($-)(:=)(;<)(8-)(X->(:-Q([->(S-)(;-o
> Ruth Hartman          
> Manager, Adult & Childrens Services Division           :::::
> Ventura County Library Services Agency                :::::
> 651 E. Main St.,                                      ::::
> Ventura, CA 93001     (FAX) 805-652-7586              ::::: 
> (voice) 805-652-7529  (e-mail) rhartman at rain.org  \   ::::::
> ===================================================>   *:::::
> Michael Gorman's New Laws of Librarianship:       /     :::::: 
>      *Libraries serve humanity.                         ::::      
>      *Respect all forms by which knowledge is communicated.
>      *Use technology intelligently to enhance service. 
>      *Protect free access to knowledge.
>      *Honor the past & create the future.
> (American Libraries 9/95)
> (-:)(-;)<-:)(+:)#-:)(-%)I-:){-;)*-:)(-$)(=:)(>;)(-8)<-X)Q-:)<-])(-S)o-;)
> 
> 
> 
________________________________________________

Kathy Wheeler        kwheeler at jaguar1.usouthal.edu
Electronic Services       THAT'S JAGUAR ONE!
Library                      (334) 460-7025
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL  36688