[WEB4LIB] Re: Google Answers questions

[Dan Ream]

Re: the wearing of nametags and anonymity at the reference desk....

Our urban university library has been through the same
arguments/discussions because of similar clientele and perceived dangers.

So now we wear university IDs around our necks that no one can read.
Ahh, compromise! ;-)

Seriously, it seems a shame that "normal" users are denied learning who we
are because of the lunatic fringe among our clientele and (not to belittle
the occasional real dangers we face) somehow I don't think a librarian's
concept of danger can rival that of a 7-11 clerk at 4AM who wears a
nametag.

I think if librarians are going to step out of the shadows and become
accepted as authoritative, they'll need to overcome this anonymity
problem.

If you weren't a librarian--who would you trust?..  Google, whose made
themselves a household name with an excellent search engine....or some
anonymous guy sitting behind a library desk?

And Sue--I think your patron who approaches you at the desk to ask if you
work there is probably dealing with plain old awkwardness-- they probably
never went to charm school or cotillion! ;-)

--Dan Ream
   Virginia Commonwealth University Library
    Richmond, Virginia

P.S. Apologies if we've veered off the usual subject matter of Web4Lib a
bit here- though I think the issue of authority of help sources--online
versus live--is pretty relevant. Or I hope so.


Sue Kamm wrote:

> A large part of the vote against name tags for staff comes from public
> librarians in particular who don't want to be hassled by the assorted
> weirdoes, nuts, flakes, and criminals who come into the library.  (And
> even when I'm sitting at the reference desk, wearing my name tag,
> someone will STILL come up to me and ask:  "Do you work here?")
>
> --
> Your friendly CyberGoddess and ALA Councilor-at-large,
> Sue Kamm
> Truest of the Blue, Los Angeles Dodgers Think Blue Week 2000
> Visit my home page:
> http://suekamm.home.mindspring.com/index.htm
> email:  suekamm at mindspring.com
> "Good is not good when better is expected."  -- Vin Scully