In the reference situation and in every meeting with the student there is more to learn about it. I had an instruction yesterday with students taking Industrial management and I also spoke to a nursing student on my way to lunch. Both the student I know (female around 30) and the students in the lecture room (male and female 20-30 years) brought up the issue that if they need help they will ask a class mate first. To ask a librarian is not on the top five list of things one does, that's a fact and we have to accept and understand this.
The nursing student had done some practical things in the library she said like changing her password on the computer - since the university have changed the IT platform during summer. I asked her if it went well and she answered that a friend helped her out since she didn't want to disturb the library staff. I protested and of course said that we were there for the students but it is one thing to say it and write it, which I do, and another thing to do it.
The group I had yesterday were from at least three continents and they arrived i Sweden less than a week ago. They want the information to be relevant for their purposes and much of the instruction concerned their list of main course literature. I tried to put in a few other things when demonstrating how to find course literature. Or how to not find. :-) We have had the same problem for years to get hold on information on demanded titles for the curricula every semester. What can I say? I must always listen to the students complaints and be willing to have a dialogue on the matter - and their problems are definitely of my concern since I have the responsability for the collection. Hang the librarian :-)
The man that left the room silent without even a glance or a sigh is bothering me. It is difficult not to take it personally to some extent and to wonder what might be the reason. Did I ignore him (they were only 13 students; one student was hidden behind the video projector)?
Was he bored? Was something distracting him?
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This morning a read a recent published editorial on the problems concerning being user-orientated and the authors are posing very good questions on the subject. I love the questions more than the answers generally and these specifically, and I quote:
"How are creativity and innovation supported in the context of your library’s strategic plan? How much work time does your library allow for innovation? Would you characterize your library’s strategic plan as active? Exciting? Relevant? How do you, or your senior administrators, keep your library’s strategic plan active, exciting and relevant?" (Mitchell E. and Young, Charles E page 2)
The viewpoint of the authors is to really try the Second Life for a while and than pose the questions on user-centricity again. Well, it is a interesting idea but I must return to my daily duties. I have started with a avatar librarian at home where I can explore new internet features undisturbed..
Are we going were our users are going, she asks. I guess it is really a difficult thing to do it and not just use the the buzzword in our policies. But some people might need to repeat a concept over and over again. I am more the kind of person that tries to find synonyms and own articulations and for me that is part of a process of digesting and integrating new concepts and ideas.
Source: Eleanor Mitchell and Charles E. Young (2007) Further thoughts about putting the user at the center
Reference Services Review; Vol. 35 : 1Article URL:
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/00907320710729328
