But first, I’d like a good OPAC to go along with it. I want an OPAC where a library customer (or staff member) can find the materials that the library owns, rather than doing a search they think is accurate, not finding the item and then looking elsewhere for the item (barnes & noble or netflix). The reason I’m currently a fan of BookSense & AADL is by allowing tags and the like, it helps to overcome some of the OPAC flaws.

I confess, I’m not techy enough to say whether the problem is the OPAC technology; or the cataloging that’s locked into card catalog design; or inconsistent cataloging. (For example, cataloging for TV shows is ridiculous). Whatever the reason, the end result is the same; customers who think we don’t own an item even tho we do.

But first, I’d like a good OPAC to go along with it. I want an OPAC where a library customer (or staff member) can find the materials that the library owns, rather than doing a search they think is accurate, not finding the item and then looking elsewhere for the item (barnes & noble or netflix). The reason I’m currently a fan of BookSense & AADL is by allowing tags and the like, it helps to overcome some of the OPAC flaws.

I confess, I’m not techy enough to say whether the problem is the OPAC technology; or the cataloging that’s locked into card catalog design; or inconsistent cataloging. (For example, cataloging for TV shows is ridiculous). Whatever the reason, the end result is the same; customers who think we don’t own an item even tho we do.

I agree with you 100 percent.

I hate to say “Devil’s Advocate”, so maybe I’ll just call it “hearing voices”, but my previous comment was sort of a regurgitated chorus – the same old song that folks afraid of change tend to drag out whenever they’re faced with new technology.

I probably wouldn’t have even been back here today, but I just got home from a meeting where one of my colleagues shared some interesting news. I have always held Hennepin County Libraries in high regard, mostly based on their web presence. Today I learned that they’re pretty much doing what you talked about. They’ve started something called “Bookspace”, which provides a social portal for users to share favorite books and authors, keep track of reading lists and other things. Best of all, once you’re logged in, it’s linked to the catalog, so you can add comments and build lists without difficulty.

The technology is out there, and there are libraries already on board. Like you, I hope the rest of us won’t be too slow in joining them.

I agree with you 100 percent.

I hate to say “Devil’s Advocate”, so maybe I’ll just call it “hearing voices”, but my previous comment was sort of a regurgitated chorus – the same old song that folks afraid of change tend to drag out whenever they’re faced with new technology.

I probably wouldn’t have even been back here today, but I just got home from a meeting where one of my colleagues shared some interesting news. I have always held Hennepin County Libraries in high regard, mostly based on their web presence. Today I learned that they’re pretty much doing what you talked about. They’ve started something called “Bookspace”, which provides a social portal for users to share favorite books and authors, keep track of reading lists and other things. Best of all, once you’re logged in, it’s linked to the catalog, so you can add comments and build lists without difficulty.

The technology is out there, and there are libraries already on board. Like you, I hope the rest of us won’t be too slow in joining them.

Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure I see that there’s much of a privacy issue here. Sometimes I think librarians take our responsibilities vis-a-vis privacy too far–and at the expense of better service.

My understanding of a library’s responsibility is that the library, by law, has to keep library customer records confidential. That means the library doesn’t share those records with anyone other than the customer, short of a legally executed court order. (Of course the specifics will differ state by state.)

But privacy doesn’t mean that we should restrict the customer from choosing what to share. That’s their privilege, not ours. Sure, let’s educate customers, and help them be smart about it; but I’d like to see us take a page from Netflix, a page from Amazon, a page from MySpace and a page from LibraryThing. I’d like to see libraries, and their systems and policies, offering a better balance between privacy on the one hand, and offering an engaging experience to an empowered customer on the other.

Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure I see that there’s much of a privacy issue here. Sometimes I think librarians take our responsibilities vis-a-vis privacy too far–and at the expense of better service.

My understanding of a library’s responsibility is that the library, by law, has to keep library customer records confidential. That means the library doesn’t share those records with anyone other than the customer, short of a legally executed court order. (Of course the specifics will differ state by state.)

But privacy doesn’t mean that we should restrict the customer from choosing what to share. That’s their privilege, not ours. Sure, let’s educate customers, and help them be smart about it; but I’d like to see us take a page from Netflix, a page from Amazon, a page from MySpace and a page from LibraryThing. I’d like to see libraries, and their systems and policies, offering a better balance between privacy on the one hand, and offering an engaging experience to an empowered customer on the other.