[Web4lib] Interesting Web/Library 2.0 data (wasparticpationSkillsfor Library 2.0 Leaders)

[Mark Costa]

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>
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> "Why are undergraduate students the core audience?" -- Mark Costa
>
> At majority of academic institutions they vastly outnumber any other
> community, from anywhere from 3:1 to 20:1.  The fact that they are the
> /least connected/ to the library doesn't sound to me that we should
> then focus on those that appreciate what we offer (grad students,
> although increasingly less and less, since they were just recently
> disaffected undergrads, faculty and researchers), but it points out
> how poorly we are serving our community.  Focusing on improving the
> experience for undergraduates doesn't have to mean neglecting the more
> advanced users.  What it can mean is an overall improvement in service
> to /everybody/ by offering a more unified and logical and open
> interface for everyone.
>
> I feel there's a bit of a 'let them eat cake!' attitude about
> tailoring only to the needs of the research community.
>
> -Ross.
>

I know this is a bit off topic, but I am a bit more of a "serve the people
that pay your bills" kind of guy. I would also like to add that much of the
work an undergraduate does is to analyze information given to them, versus
going out and identifying resources and then analyzing it, which is what a
graduate student does. For libraries, we can meet our undergraduates needs
by developing the library as a place. Our web presence should be focused on
the people who would most benefit from a well developed, robust tool. There
are many technologies out there now, and on the horizon, that can facilitate
higher level research. By doing that, we can also pick up the few
undergraduates that are engaged in advanced research.

Right now many libraries are engaged in a dumbing down process, trying to
catch volume by appealing to people who can really care less about our
service, versus focusing on a smaller group of people who are dedicated
lifelong researchers. Do you focus on the customer who passes through, or do
you focus on developing a return patron base? We've been chasing
undergraduates for the past 10 years, and all we have done is managed to
lose market share. Perhaps we need to rethink our strategy.

-- 
Mark R. Costa, MLS

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress
depends on the unreasonable man."
--- George Bernard Shaw