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

[NORMA JEAN HEWLETT]

>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.

What about the undergraduates who don't live on campus, find it 
difficult to get to  the library, or just like to do their work at 
home?  (Or from the dorm) 

For the past year, I've been doing virtual reference for a consortium 
that includes some our the country's top research universities. The 
most difficult thing about it was figuring out how to use their 
websites. Sometimes it seemed as though they went out of their way to 
make things complicated. For a website or database to be well-
developed and robust, it also needs to be clear and easy to use. 
Jean Hewlett
University of San Francisco, North Bay Regional Campus

----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Costa <markrcosta at gmail.com>
Date: Saturday, May 5, 2007 2:36 pm
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Interesting Web/Library 2.0 data 
(wasparticpationSkillsfor Library 2.0 Leaders)
To: Ross Singer <ross.singer at library.gatech.edu>
Cc: web4lib at webjunction.org

> >
> >
> >
> > "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 
> facilitatehigher 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 
> dedicatedlifelong 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 
> progressdepends on the unreasonable man."
> --- George Bernard Shaw
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