Comments on: Intuition-based librarianship? http://robotlibrarian.billdueber.com/intuition-based-librarianship/ Disclaimer: I'm not actually a robot. Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:37:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jane Blumenthal http://robotlibrarian.billdueber.com/intuition-based-librarianship/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Jane Blumenthal Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:29:17 +0000 http://robotlibrarian.billdueber.com/intuition-based-librarianship/#comment-8 <p>I can't argue with a thing you've said. I do find it frustrating, however, when the data shows patrons what/need/use one thing and the response is that we still have to keep collecting things they don't use because someone may want or use it someday, and that we have to keep providing services that they don't use because they SHOULD be using them. I.e., despite what you, our educated users think, we know better than you what you actually need.</p> I can’t argue with a thing you’ve said. I do find it frustrating, however, when the data shows patrons what/need/use one thing and the response is that we still have to keep collecting things they don’t use because someone may want or use it someday, and that we have to keep providing services that they don’t use because they SHOULD be using them. I.e., despite what you, our educated users think, we know better than you what you actually need.

]]> By: Andrew Booth http://robotlibrarian.billdueber.com/intuition-based-librarianship/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Andrew Booth Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:11:49 +0000 http://robotlibrarian.billdueber.com/intuition-based-librarianship/#comment-7 <p>I really appreciated your comment that "We’re assuming that the 99.999% of users who never talk to a librarian (many of whom, in fact, never enter the library building) have the exact same needs and perspective as those who engage in reference interviews" as it struck a resonant chord with me.</p> <p>I have just submitted a regular feature to the Health Information & Libraries Journal forthcoming issue which seeks to dispel the myth of the "typical library user". It follows very similar lines to your own comments. I would be interested in your thoughts once it appears or will happily send you the proof version which I have just received.</p> I really appreciated your comment that “We’re assuming that the 99.999% of users who never talk to a librarian (many of whom, in fact, never enter the library building) have the exact same needs and perspective as those who engage in reference interviews” as it struck a resonant chord with me.

I have just submitted a regular feature to the Health Information & Libraries Journal forthcoming issue which seeks to dispel the myth of the “typical library user”. It follows very similar lines to your own comments. I would be interested in your thoughts once it appears or will happily send you the proof version which I have just received.

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