Nothing like watching five librarians engage in a shouting match, complete with banging fists on the table. That sort of thing pisses me off very, very quickly. I didn't get my say (I am very rarely a shouty person), but how infinitely more satisfying to post it here. No, they'll never see it, but on the other hand--no going hoarse or sore fists.

The issue: why must we insist on uniformity among all library catalogs when people are comfortable using many other websites with many different interfaces? (I know what you're thinking. I can't believe it started a shouting-match either.)


My answer? It all comes down to the user. Take me, for example. I twitter, use RSS feeds, blog, social network, bank online, download videos (legally, btw), and when pressed can create a mash-up (no pun intended). I represent one end of the internet-user spectrum.

Now take this guy I recently helped. I've mentioned him before. This is the guy who noticed that we had removed the link to Google from our library homepage, and rather irately inquired how he was supposed to get to Google now that the link was gone! He represents the other end of the internet-user spectrum.

Libraries are stuck in a catch-22 situation where they try to meet the demands of both users. I want to get an RSS feed of new book arrivals. He, on the other hand, needs a shortcut to a search engine. I am computer-savvy; he is not. But both of us use the library. Those people who are comfortable using many different interfaces? They are only some of the people who come to the library or use our online catalog. There are many people out there who aren't computer-savvy and probably never will be. They don't bank online, or shop online, or even have e-mail. They may not want to use the internet; they may not understand the internet; but they still have to use our online catalog if they want to find materials in the library.

Librarians are very proud of the fact that public libraries exist to serve everyone, from web-savvy teenagers to older people, from the homeless to people for whom English is a second language. And it is to better serve everyone that some are insisting upon a certain uniformity of library catalogs. By creating an accessible, simple, easy-to-use interface for our catalog, we include, not exclude, people. This is not to say that we can't have some pretty cool stuff on that interface (*cough*RSS feeds, please*cough*), but we need to remember and take into consideration the needs of all our users. You can't please everyone, of course, but we can do our best to ensure that the essential purpose of our library--making our materials available--is made as easy as possible for as many people as possible.


I feel better already. :)