[Web4lib] Friendly language

[Brian Gray]

I do not know about other libraries, but our course reserves includes much
more than just "readings". It might be had to find a collective term if you
are naming it based on a specific action or format. Our reserves include art
images, data files, many movies, audio files, and probably other formats or
purposes than I have heard of.

If you allow many different things to be placed on reserve, I would be
worried that a name does not send a false message to faculty that only "x"
is allowed when you also accept "y" and "z". You might create a name that
increases student awareness but hampers usability.

Brian Gray
mindspiral at gmail.com
bcg8 at case.edu


On Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 12:06 PM, Jon Gorman <jonathan.gorman at gmail.com>wrote:

> 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?
>