Comments on: Constructive criticism

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:39:01 +0000

Smilar feelings. Love those guys, video was 100% too long and I was hoping to find some of the collaborative stuff in it somewhere, like a list of credits of everyone that helped, how Library 101 was all of us, etc. I found the website pretty 1.0 with the content hidden in ways that weren’t easy to find and with no real option for collaboration. Like the idea, love the guys, left a little hungry for more or different or something when it was all said and done.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:01:17 +0000

To answer Joan’s question concerning library administrators being technophobes: five minutes ago, I had an interesting discussion with my director. He doesn’t want me to replace many of our video titles on DVD, which we currently only have on VHS, because it is too soon to call VHS a “dying format.”

We are an academic library which utilizes the bare minimum of the technologies that are available to us. Sure, we subscribe to many of the major databases; but we have never, and will not (until someone retires), investigate chat reference, text reference, link resolvers, etc.

Our director firmly believes emerging technologies are detrimental to the academic environment, which should always be modeled after the experiences he had as an undergraduate in the 1970’s. If it was good enough for granddad… LOL

By: Custom Essays

Custom Essays — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:30:27 +0000

Hi,
Criticism is a tool that can be used constructively. I agree with Jeff’s views mostly especially the last line of it.

By: joan

joan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:16:10 +0000

A tool that could be really valuable would be something that people who are the tech-evangelists in their library could bring to technophobes. I’m not sure this is the tool.

Also, I’d be interested to know how many library admins are really so opposed to technology. Yes, I know libraries block Facebook and such, but are they really unwilling to investigate chat reference (for example)?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:39:06 +0000

Meredith, I have to agree with you – this is preaching to the choir. I also don’t think a library worker or administrator who is not that in to technology will find any of this inspiring.

Even the web page set-up is problematic. At home, my screen resolution is set at 800×600 to benefit my husband who has trouble seeing higher resolution pages. So, on my computer, all of the outer edges of the web page are not visible. I bet a lot of library staff around the country have similar set-ups, and won’t even be able to see the right side of the (too long) video. At least they thought to include the words for their “song” on the screen, because they’re sure hard to hear over the loud music.

I think we need to be showing staff how these technologies can make their jobs and/or lives easier, more productive, and/or more fun. At least, that’s what we tried to do in our 2.0 program. We sold a few folks on some of the fun, but it’s mostly the same staff as before that are using the new technologies at work.

By: Jeff Scott

Jeff Scott — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:00:40 +0000

I appreciate this post. I viewed the 101 video live via ustream of Internet Librarian. I think the main purpose was to energize the base, in which, IL is perfect for that. Obama coming to a liberal state isn’t just preaching to the choir there, but energizing his base.

I also think people can get too carried away with using “change”. Using tech tools without providing an idea of where you are going or what the purpose is can turn people off. That was my problem with Library 2.0 and the Library 101 project. Most library staff are very pragmatic and introducing anything (technology related or not) in this way can lead to cynicism.

I think people who look at any criticism of the Library 101 project (and I think there is just the one) shouldn’t take that seriously. Don’t feed the trolls as the saying goes.