On Nov 24, 6:10 pm, the zak <don.sak...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Library hallway
> Customers services at our library decline in that people are made to
> sit in the hallway waiting for access to a featured library service
> without access to any books for browsing or other materials.
> If books for browsing can not be made available in the hallway,
> a bulletin board could be there for browsing whatever's happening
> around the community.
Why not check out a book and browse through it while waiting?
> Reading room
> The current reference department reading room could be set up more
> with the comfort of library users/customers/consumers in mind.
Bring your own seat cu****on?
> Screens.
> Reference department librarians searching for information for
> library users/customers/consumers have the screens positions
> reversed from view. It makes it more difficult for library
> users. A reference enquiry is not static as you know. It evolves
> as the answer is being ferreted out. Library users need to
> be able to see the screen as the librarian searches so as
> to learn a bit of the searching technique and go on from there
> on their own more effectively to pursue the enquiry further.
A reference desk librarian searching the internet for a patron has the
problem of seeing the screen while the unfortunate patron can't,
unless said patron stands or pulls up a chair next to the librarian,
which usually isn't feasible/desirable. A second monitor positioned
toward the patron would help, but that would take extra funds and
space on the desk which may or may not be available, and the computer
may not even sup****t a second monitor. Double-sided LCD monitors could
solve this problem. With these two-sided monitors, the librarian can
sit behind the desk searching the internet while the patron can sit in
front of the desk watching the screen on the other side. Samsung has
developed something like this. Probably it will take the technology
another 5 years or so to shake out and become affordable for
libraries. This would be useful for information & public service
computer desks of all kinds, 2-player gaming, etc.
> Rationalizations
> It is not enough to respond that things are tem****ary or a work in
> progress. Improvements can be made now.
Depends on the improvement--it could take a lot of time depending on
the goal. The responder may not be involved in the work in progress
anyway.
King Book
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