[Web4lib] RE: library automation vendors

[Jim Campbell]

Well, Ms. Kamm, two replies and a comment:

1. I do work in an academic library (and incidentally we also circulate a
lot of fiction and have the same printing problems - different content but
same idea). By and large our clients also still prefer hard copy (and so do
I). That's why I said "as we _eventually_ move more into e-books" the
definition will change. I think it's going to happen, just as I think we're
going to give up local bibliographic databases, but I don't expect either
eventuality next month. But I do think the definition of "local" is changing
now, certainly for journals and for reference materials.

2. You know your customers don't want this stuff, but are you sure your
community doesn't? People who are getting used to finding things on the Web
may not be coming to the library or calling you and so missing out on things
you provide. We see that with our customers and I suspect it happens in the
public library world as well. I've been a user and supporter of one or
another public library for over 50 years but have noticed that I almost
never go anymore just to look something up the way I used to.


And e-book readers nowadays include PDAs and some telephones. It's not
something I'm tempted to do, but I can tell you from looking at some of the
e-book discussion groups that there are people out there right now reading
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on PDAs. They're probably too young
for the margaritas though.
 
- Jim Campbell
 
Digital Access Coordinator and Librarian for German
E-Mail: Campbell at Virginia.Edu | Voice: 434-924-4985
 
Digital Access Services, University of Virginia Library
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/digital/das/
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org 
> [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Sue Kamm
> Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 1:48 PM
> To: campbell at virginia.edu; 'Thomas Edelblute'; web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: RE: [Web4lib] RE: library automation vendors
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Campbell <campbell at virginia.edu>
> Sent: Jul 20, 2005 6:03 AM
> To: 'Thomas Edelblute' <TEdelblute at anaheim.net>, 
> web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: RE: [Web4lib] RE: library automation vendors
> 
> But why would pulling that information from a big database in 
> Ohio instead of from a small database in Anaheim keep them 
> from finding that out?  Or alternatively pulling the author 
> and title information from OCLC and the on shelf information 
> from a local system and combining them for the user? Your 
> existing library system probably works that way now, pulling 
> the bibliographic information from one (or several) 
> dataset(s) and the circulation information from another and 
> combining them on the fly.
> 
> And of course as we eventually move more into e-books the 
> definition of "in my library" is going to change for books 
> just as it already has for journals.
> 
> >>Mr. Campbell, do you work in a public library?  Your 
> assertions about 
> >>e-books and online periodicals may be correct in an 
> academic library, 
> >>but Mr. Edelbute and I work in public libraries.  I don't 
> know about 
> >>Anaheim PL, but the clientele in my library still prefer hardcopy.  
> >>(One of the big complaints in public libraries is 
> controlling printing 
> >>costs.  Until many of us installed a system requiring prepayment, a 
> >>lot of Pokemon figures, Magic School Bus licenses, and game 
> code was 
> >>being printed and not picked up.)
> 
> In contrast to academic libraries, public libraries circulate 
> a lot of fiction.  Who's going to shlep an ebook reader out 
> to poolside when it's so much easier to recline in a deck 
> chair, margarita at hand, and paperback to read? 
> 
> Your friendly CyberGoddess and Councilor-at-large, Sue Kamm 
> Inglewood/Los Angeles, CA 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
> "What I wonder is, where are all the guys who just like to 
> play baseball?"
> --Wes Parker, former Los Angeles Dodgers infielder 
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