[Web4lib] Friendly language

[Jon Gorman]

On Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 10:10 AM, Hammons, James W. <JHAMMONS at bsu.edu> wrote:
> We definitely use plenty of unhelpful jargon, but this case throws me for a loop. Every university I've studied or worked at since 1983 has called material made available in the library for specific classes "reserves." Is the problem really marketing?
>

And I've heard many folks who still say they need to dial a phone
number.  When was the last time you dialed a number?  Just because a
lot of folks haven't changed doesn't really argue for much.  We're not
a group known for change.  I can see retaining terminology when it
actually has a function or is more precise than .  I fail to see what
great advantage "course reserves" has over "class readings".  I've
seen organizations repeated preserve confusing terminologies and
perplexing workflows in the face of constant questions, confusion and
criticism just because of the resistance to change.

I guess the flip questions are: Would it confuse staff and would they
be unable to grasp the new terminology?  If you put "assigned class
readings" in the box and pull in a bunch of random students, do more
guess what the function is correctly rather than with "Course
reserves"?  How about surveying high school students?


Jon Gorman