Do digital libraries violate the Third Law?
Dear Friends, There is an interesting article on the following URL. http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA512179 Some Extracts are given below: .."Every book, its reader" almost means that "resources look for people." Thus, the job of librarians is to help these resources find the people who want and need them the most. Library patrons, Ranganathan points out, often do not know enough about available resources to know what to request. Any organization of the electronic or physical library that focuses only on getting the readers what they ask for neglects two key components of good library practice: browsing and linking.. ..Because of today's confusing array of resources, new violations of the third law have emerged. Consider search engines. No one focused on creating a "well-arranged collection" of e-resources can ignore that users are going to Google for quick or even substantive information requests. Google gives marvelously fast access to massive amounts of information (and misinformation). It is almost everyone's favorite place for a quick search. In fact, one could say that Google usually passes the fourth law (save the time of the reader) with flying colors—except when the plethora of hits slows the reader down. With the advent of Google Print and particularly Google Scholar, more and more students and researchers will begin their work on Google... Any comments? Sukhdev Singh, NIC. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/indmedtraining/
Colleagues,
The article Shri Sukhdev Singh pointed to is interesting in today's context.
It ends saying "Getting authoritative information sources to potential
users" is the job of Librarians and Libraries, besides so many points in
favour of libraries.
We have built a good library including 'well organised resources' on
intranet for users on library's website keeping 5 laws as guiding
principles. (The phrase, I used 'good library' in earlier sentence is not my
opinion but user's reflections). Recently, full-text access facility to lot
many e-journals was added as a part of CSIR consortium. In order to enhance
our organised resources, I thought of having an informal chat/dialogue with
my fellow users. Here are some exchanges (though I have used a term 'USER'
it is collection of opinions expressed by >10 users!):
ME: Dear .. as you know we now can access lot many journals for full-text
access. I hope you are reading my notices from time to time.
USER: Yaaaa...... Our library resources are fantastic! We really enjoy.
ME: Yes. But how do you reach to the desired article? I mean, are you using
the journal links that are provided on library's website?
USER: No..no. I normally search for the subject that we are working on and
not biased to any specific journal.
ME: Wonderful. Do you use the subject databases on our library's website?
USER: No...I normally use Google. You know.... everything is available
there!!
ME: Yes. But then you landup in hundred-thousand items. How do you go for
the article that you really need?
USER: Well.... I do not look at all the items but links on first few pages
serve our purpose.
ME: But sometimes you may miss with this something that is important and
moreover we do not have access to all full-text resources that are linked on
Google.
USER: I do not think we miss anything that is important. Afterall, relevant
articles are then cited repeatedly in the articles that we get linked to.
And, yes, I understand that you can not provide all that we need so we go by
abstracts or if the item is really required, you only get the same so
quickly from other library..... how great is your service.
ME: But then why you compromise for the limitations of Google when we have
other good organised resources with us?
USER: Dr Tapaswi, it is difficult to learn everything that is available.
Google serves our purpose and I when it serves our purpose, why should we
look here and there? No. We can't do that. There are so many other tasks
also to be done....But don't get disheartened. Your library services are
excellent! Do continue providing same. I am sure some one else would be
using!!
I am in a fix! Please help - how to make realise a 'Google happy' user
understand that he is not really happy or alternatively, library services
can make him more happier.
Regards, - Tapaswi, NIO, Goa
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sukhdev Singh"
Dear Friends,
There is an interesting article on the following URL.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA5121 79
Some Extracts are given below:
.."Every book, its reader" almost means that "resources look for people." Thus, the job of librarians is to help these resources find the people who want and need them the most. Library patrons, Ranganathan points out, often do not know enough about available resources to know what to request. Any organization of the electronic or physical library that focuses only on getting the readers what they ask for neglects two key components of good library practice: browsing and linking..
..Because of today's confusing array of resources, new violations of the third law have emerged. Consider search engines. No one focused on creating a "well-arranged collection" of e-resources can ignore that users are going to Google for quick or even substantive information requests. Google gives marvelously fast access to massive amounts of information (and misinformation). It is almost everyone's favorite place for a quick search. In fact, one could say that Google usually passes the fourth law (save the time of the reader) with flying colors—except when the plethora of hits slows the reader down. With the advent of Google Print and particularly Google Scholar, more and more students and researchers will begin their work on Google...
Any comments?
Sukhdev Singh, NIC. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/indmedtraining/
_______________________________________________ LIS-Forum mailing list LIS-Forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in http://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/mailman/listinfo/lis-forum
Dr. Tapaswi,
Your situation reminds me of one I experienced when I was in a Hospital
library. This was during the Pre-Internet days and we had Medline on CD ROM
A doctor came to me and said that he wanted to do a Medline search on
"Epilepsy in Women: Psychosocial factors". He wanted this because he had to
contribute to a book chapter. Conversation between us went as follows:
Doc: This would be very simple and straightforward.
Me: No doctor, this is going to take you some time.
Doc: Why - we just need to search on Epilepsy AND women AND (pscyhologcial
OR sociological)
Me: No doctor - it is more complex than that (especially as this is for a
book chapter and your needs would be slightly comprehensive
Doc: Let us do something. We first do a search my way, and then your way
Me: Sure
Doc - (does the search and gets 35 pretty good references). See - this seems
pretty comprehensive to you. I really wonder if we need to do anything more.
Me: You have to keep up the bargain - it is my turn.
I do the search and he watches. At the end of it he has more references ,
and stuff that he had not imagined existed.
The key difference was - with his search, he only retrieved references that
broadly searched sociological and psychological factors as concepts.
In my search we got these general ones PLUS specific ones like epilepsy in
women related to marriage, work, divorce etc etc.
Doc - Hats off to you - I did not know there were these levels of nuances in
searching.
Me - Thank you ............ it was my pleasure to be of help! And doc - when
you are writing for a book chapter - I am sure you needed both general and
specific references.........
Doc - Yes - that is really true.
The catch in today's situation ...........the user does not come to you -
since he/she has google access at his work-desk. You do not have an
opportunity to convince as I did.
My suggestion: Discuss with your users, and conduct a few similar
experiments like I did, and see if that will help them understand.
I'd love to hear about positive results from you!
Regards
Vasumathi Sriganesh
Director, QMed Services Pvt. Ltd.
A-3, Shubham Centre, Cardinal Gracious Road
Chakala, Andheri East, Mumbai 400099, India
Ph: 91-22-28229223 Fax: 91-22-28224358
Mobile: 98211-14510
Email: vasu@qmedin.com, Web: www.qmedin.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Murari P Tapaswi"
Dear Friends,
There is an interesting article on the following URL.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA5121 79
Some Extracts are given below:
.."Every book, its reader" almost means that "resources look for people." Thus, the job of librarians is to help these resources find the people who want and need them the most. Library patrons, Ranganathan points out, often do not know enough about available resources to know what to request. Any organization of the electronic or physical library that focuses only on getting the readers what they ask for neglects two key components of good library practice: browsing and linking..
..Because of today's confusing array of resources, new violations of the third law have emerged. Consider search engines. No one focused on creating a "well-arranged collection" of e-resources can ignore that users are going to Google for quick or even substantive information requests. Google gives marvelously fast access to massive amounts of information (and misinformation). It is almost everyone's favorite place for a quick search. In fact, one could say that Google usually passes the fourth law (save the time of the reader) with flying colors—except when the plethora of hits slows the reader down. With the advent of Google Print and particularly Google Scholar, more and more students and researchers will begin their work on Google...
Any comments?
Sukhdev Singh, NIC. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/indmedtraining/
_______________________________________________ LIS-Forum mailing list LIS-Forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in http://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/mailman/listinfo/lis-forum
_______________________________________________ LIS-Forum mailing list LIS-Forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in http://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/mailman/listinfo/lis-forum
participants (3)
-
Dr. Murari P Tapaswi -
Sukhdev Singh -
Vasumathi Sriganesh