There's something that's been nagging at the back of my mind lately. No, it's not my mother-in-law, so stop snickering. It's a basic question about one of the things I thought I was accomplishing by participating in Library 2.0. Specifically, there was an implication that our customers are already aware of and using all of these tools and techniques, and it was our responsibility to catch up, as it were, in order to be better library employees.
So here I am, all boned up on wikis, widgets, gizmoz, and the like. Now, where do I stand in relation to our customers? The answer is, I may actually now know a lot more about the subtleties of web and widget manipulation than those I serve--and therein lies the surprise.
When I think about the customers I know (and at Norrisville one can know almost all of them to some degree), I realize that the vast majority--even those in the 13-25 age range--don't know how to do almost any of the things we've picked up in the course of our 23-thing journey. What do they know? They can get to YouTube and browse the videos (but not upload one or link them to a blog). Quite a number have MySpace accounts, but they rarely use them and they definitely don't do any fancy customizing by and large. None have blogs that I know of. None are denizens of Technorati, del.icio.us, or bloglist--in fact very few of them actually have any interest in news, the latest technology, etc. A few have special interests such as Anime and fan art and know how to find it on the web--but again, it's only to browse it and look at it, not to add to it or do anything fancy with it. A number have uploaded photos, usually to sites such as the Kodak one and rarely to Flickr (with exceptions). Some know how to use memory sticks. Those with MP3 players are not paying to download music, but are almost exclusively ripping their own CDs. Many have email through Yahoo or MSN or AOL. Many of the kids know how to get to Massively Multi-Player online games--though I don't see anybody on Second Life.
I already knew how to do all those things before. The question is, where are all those people getting into all those neat, cool, hot things we've been learning about? I guess there are a couple of theories about that.
One theory is that the people using computers in the library are, by and large, people who don't have computers at home, or who only have dial-up at home. Such folks, with no opportunity to customize their web experience on library PCs, are only doing and learning the simple stuff. Ironically, as we learned they could be doing plenty even on library computers, since all of the cool stuff is web-based, but they don't seem to be doing this. Having said all that, the customers in Bel Air or Abingdon or elsewhere may be more inquisitive and tech-ish than the ones in Norrisville, but I wonder... So where are all those people? Probably at home with their own computers, possibly in college (and therefore using the college library), possibly not even library customers or else customers who only come in for DVDs and a few other things.
Another theory is that, worldwide there are millions of people doing wonders on the Internet, but many are in other countries, concentrated in places like southern California and NY City, are computer geeks (meant kindly, not as a dig) working as computer professionals, etc.--with only 1 percent or so of the general population getting into any of this. In other words, it may seem like a lot of people, but such folks are only a tiny percent of the total population, and an even tinier percent in Harford County. So, 1 percent of the world's population is 60 million geek-heads, 60,000 in Maryland, and about 2,500 in Harford County.
I'm not saying that Library 2.0 is not a worthwhile experience. Dang, it's been a wonderful, mind-expanding journey--one that has enhanced my ability to do all sorts of valuable things. Yet my notion that I needed to catch up with my customers may have been somewhat misguided on the whole.
Then I ask myself what do we really need to know to help our customers on the computer? The answer:
-Whether memory sticks work on the public PCs and the PCs in the workroom, the limitations, the techniques.
-How to establish an email account
-Whether and how customers can download photos, music, and other things on the public computers, including the limitations and tricks to get it to work
-Whether and how customers can burn CDs on our computers, and on which ones can they do it, and what are the limitations
-How to fill out an online job application
-Where to find tax and legal help
-How to do an effective Google search
-How to get what customers need on our subscription databases
And on and on. The vast majority of our customers are not in fact very computer literate, and they need basic operational help. Those who are adding animated avatars to blogs (and who have blogs to begin with); those who are interconnected with their college buddies through IM, MySpace, etc.; those who are uploading videos of themselves imitating Eric Clapton onto YouTube--these folks don't really need us.
4 comments:
Hey, What were you doing up at 5:45 in the morning?
I'm trying to understand this, too. It seems like this is a symptom of the gaming culture; kids can play games and manipulate the virtual world, but don't know crap about the real world. To them, everything is mouse-clicks and flashing lights and anyone who doesn't get that is a n00b or artard. Did you ever notice that game guides are huge bestsellers? That's because the game culture is not about discovery, it's about being given the answer. They'll say it's about discovery, but how many people buy game booty with real money? Lots. It's a real world, virtual world problem. We (librarians) live in the real world whose relevence is diminishing every day. I agree that we need to know about this stuff, but I also agree that it's a very tiny part of my usefulness to my patrons. cheers
They may know a lot or a little. Certainly it's one of these choices about their knowledge level. They may know:
1)very little and know it.
2)very little but THINK they know a lot.
3)A lot who aren't sure about what to do next.
4)A lot and just want to learn about how to find out more.
The real world has computers in it. Most kids seem to know the difference. :) I think it's then a matter of focus; before we had the virtual world, we had the "problem" of TV, the vast wasteland. Kids (well, ME) got very focused on TV, sometimes to our detriment, but for good or ill, it changed the social landscape. Now we're trying not to get caught short again, and be nearer the curve. Not a bad impulse, but many efforts will be wasted, errors, abortive, etc.
Right on! I am having fun (I think?) with 23 Things but our customers don't seem to ask the questions that will use my new found techie knowledge.
Post a Comment