[Web4lib] [Publib] The future of reference?

[Robert L. Balliot]

Those hololibrarian qualities are troubling. But, they are garbage in/
garbage <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_In,_Garbage_Out>  out.  You
would need to design the hololibrarian to roll eyes and talk too fast. 

I am creating a reference / bibliographic instruction method using a similar
concept.  Will demo very soon.

*************************************************
Robert L. Balliot
Skype: RBalliot
Bristol, Rhode Island
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of Joe Schallan
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 11:55 AM
To: Publib Publib Discussion
Subject: Re: [Publib] The future of reference?

David Wright wrote:

> The future of reference?
>
> I like this version better, with the signing:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e30XhIjFmKM&NR=1



The future of reference? I hope not. The hololibrarian is
*terrible* -- interrupts the patron, goes too fast, ignores
the question and then dismisses the question, and, finally,
rolls his eyes at the end as the unsatisfied patron departs.
The librarian-hologram has his own agenda.

This clip begs the question, Is this how John or Jane Q.
Public sees us?  In this script, after all, the presumed
characteristics of today's reference librarians have simply
been ported over into an imagined future.

As I've pointed out in other postings, the great attraction
of blundering your way through the infosphere with Google
and Wikipedia is that it eliminates the middleman and
eliminates one's need to appear before him as a supplicant.

And if the perception is that the middleman will go out of
his way to be dismissive and make you look stupid, then
all the better to have the middleman go away.

Some may say: Reference is dead.  Long live DIY info!

Joe Schallan
Phoenix



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