VIEW FROM THE FRONT:

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VIEW FROM THE FRONT

• dealing withinformation technology
• in an academic library

Walter W. Giesbrecht walterg_at_yorku.ca
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An opening quote

• A computer lets you make more mistakes faster
  than any invention in human history -- with the
  possible exceptions of handguns and tequila.
  - Mitch Ratliffe, Technology Review April,
  1992

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Another quote

• Librarians have promised to put the world of
  information at the publics fingertips. Now
  theyre stuck fixing bugs and teaching people how
  to use a mouse. CT Corcoran, Salon, 1997

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What are my qualifications in this area?

• Im a public service librarian with a strong
  interest in technology issues
• I have published a paper on resistance to
  technology in libraries
• Im a friend of Arts

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How it all began

• Information Technology Assessment at NLC
• role was to help libraries by assessing and
  providing detailed descriptions of new CD-ROM
  products
• also gained experience in dealing with new
  hardware/software technologies

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Changing technologies(since 1988)

• Word processors (gt 4)
• Library systems (3)
• Microcomputer operating systems (6)
• Microcomputers (5)
• Networks (3)
• Web browsers (lots!)

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Other IT changes

• database searching
• online -gt CD-ROM (standalone) -gt CD-ROM
  (networked) -gt Web-based
• technical support
• centralized -gt decentralized -gt centralized

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Problems in introducing new technologies

• insufficient preparation
• insufficient input into decision-making
• too much happening at once!

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York University 1988/89

• chaired CD-ROM Committee formed after CD-ROMs
  introduced to library
• 1st mistake committee should have been formed
  before
• 2nd mistakenot enough time to become familiar
  with products
• 3rd mistake done just after new catalogue
  introduced

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CD-ROM (1)

• posted a question re librarians resistance to
  CD-ROMs
• got 60 reasons from 25 people

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CD-ROM (2)

• Seven categories of responses
• psychological (reluctance, apprehension, fear)
• multiple interfaces
• increased teaching load
• increased costs
• increased stress
• increased workload
• hardware/software problems

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Enter the Internet

• subscribed to first list in 1989
• started Internet training in 1992
• and have continued ever since!
• same rewards, same problemsas with CD-ROMs (just
  more!)

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Convergence

• of media, technologies, information sources
• more things to learn and to keep track of, often
  for fewer actual reference questions
• less reference, more technical support

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Labour issues

• technology issues loomed large for faculty during
  YUFA strike of 1997
• inequitable distribution
• insufficient training
• pressure to use in teaching

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Final quotes ...

• we are living in an era when the potential of
  technology is almost always exaggerated and its
  practical limitations ignored.
• Far from becoming keepers of the keys to the
  Grand Database of Universal Knowledge, todays
  librarians are finding themselves in an
  unexpected, overloaded role they have become the
  general publics last-resort providers of tech
  support. -- CT Corcoran

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References

• Giesbrecht W McCarthy R. 1991. Staff resistance
  to library CD-ROM services. CD-ROM Professional
  4(3) 34-38
• Corcoran CT. 1997. Are we ready for the library
  of the future?. Salon http//www.salon.com/21st/fe
  ature/1997/12/02feature.html
• Giesbrecht W. 1998. The dark side of convergence.
  Information Highways 5(3) 11

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• Walter W. Giesbrecht http//www.yorku.ca/walterg/