[WEB4LIB] Re: DUH factor at Computers in Libraries

[J.M. Latham]

I don't want to demean CIL -- I started going years ago and it definately
has a niche, but I have been automating and re-automating libraries for a
long time, and sometimes the Uh-oh! element of participants (Uh-oh! I
really better get up to speed on this) is a little frustrating.

I was sitting in one of the wireless discussions and there was a woman
sitting next to me who wanted to know when the technology would resolve
itself into a final standard so she would know when to buy it.  <sigh>  I
tried to explain that if you needed it it wasn't something you wanted for
and if you didn't need it why worry.  I got the impression that wireless
is now a "sexy" thing and if you want to be a "with it" library you use
wireless.

Now, I am, I admit, looking into putting wireless in my home because I
like to use my laptop all over this (admitedly little) house and I get
tired of stringing phone wire all over the place.  The technology is there
... why shouldn't I use it.  But I'm not sure we want to be doing that in
public venues.

I have long been a proponent of the librarian as techie and a big
supporter of putting technical information into the hands of professionals
so they can be more independent of consultants and pseudo-consultants
(those "systems designers" in the sales departments of large vendors ...
no one in particular in mind!) but I am beginning to wonder about how we
are putting the information out there -- a smosgabord of concepts and
technologies librarians pick and choose from, take a two day crash course
and then start making decisions ... of course, maybe that's all *I've*
been doing all these years ...

Joyce