Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] If Academic Libraries Remove Computers, Will Anyone Come?

From: Daniel CannCasciato <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:14:46 -0700

-------------
Daniel CannCasciato
Head of Cataloging
Central Washington University Library
400 E. University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7548
[email-masked]
>>> "B.G. Sloan" 04/29/10 2:18 PM >>> 
From today's Chronicle "Wired Campus" blog: 
http://bit.ly/dcnWwW 
""If you take the computers out of the commons, I think you'd see our numbers drop by half." By "numbers", he's talking about people visiting the physical library. 

If you remove the resources that'd do it, too. Seems like kind of an odd point for that person to have made.

We had over 700,000 people through the turnstiles each of the last few years. Our campus enrollment is not quite 10,000.

Daniel

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From: Tim Spalding <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:30:09 -0400

> If you remove the resources that'd do it, too. Seems like kind of an odd point for that person to have made.

The question is what combination or absence of resources is best for
students and/or patrons? It's clear that you could site any number of
desirable things, from database-access terminals to an ice cream
parlor, within the library building, it would make the library more
popular and there would be synergy and spillover effects. But there
are also costs, both to the library and potential costs to not putting
things somewhere else, or nowhere at all.

Video gaming is a classic case. It gets some people in the door, but
once the direct and opportunity costs are factored in, is it really
worth it? And leaving aside narrow library interests, might a rational
overseer decide, say, the student union was a more effective place to
put the activity?

In short, librarians are fond of saying there is "more to a library
than books." It's worth discussing the more, and thinking about
whether it will change over time. I for one am not at all convinced
that the historically rather brief practice of free computers in
libraries will continue forever.

Tim

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From: Karen Coyle <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 06:45:55 -0700

> libraries will continue forever.

Depends on what you mean by "free computers." There was a time when  
public libraries had rooms with typewriters, for folks who didn't have  
one at home. Then there were computers with word-processing programs  
for those without computers at home. At my local public library, I've  
never seen a computer "unused", and usually there is a line waiting to  
get to them. In this case, though, it appears that most people are  
using the computers for internet access. Internet access in a library  
makes good sense -- it's another information resource, after all. Not  
only that, some of the library's own resources are only available over  
the internet (journal databases, etc.) So I think that internet access  
belongs there, and will continue to be there as long as the internet  
is a key information resource. Whether or not that means that the  
library has to provide computers is another thing, but even when  
"everybody" has a laptop, the public library will need to serve that 5  
or 10 or 20% of our population that seems to be always left out of  
"everybody."

kc

-- 
Karen Coyle
[email-masked] http://kcoyle.net
ph: 1-510-540-7596
m: 1-510-435-8234
skype: kcoylenet

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From: Karen Coyle <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:04:20 -0700

Another twist that I had forgotten: when I go to UC Berkeley to use  
the library there (as a lowly 'citizen of the state of California') I  
cannot connect to their wireless network, which requires a campus  
login. I must use the computers at the library to access any of the  
materials the library provides electronically. (And, no, I can't  
access them from home -- that's not available to 'citizens of the  
state' -- not included in the library's contracts.) So the only way I  
can get to those materials is by using the library computers.

I can imagine some computers being needed as long as the library has  
online resources.

kc

Quoting Karen Coyle <[email-masked]>:

> belongs there, and will continue to be there as long as the internet is
> a key information resource. Whether or not that means that the library
> has to provide computers is another thing, but even when "everybody"
> has a laptop, the public library will need to serve that 5 or 10 or 20%
> of our population that seems to be always left out of "everybody."
>
> kc
>
> -- 
> Karen Coyle

---

From: Kyle Banerjee <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:42:28 -0700

>
> Another twist that I had forgotten: when I go to UC Berkeley to use the
> library there (as a lowly 'citizen of the state of California') I cannot
> connect to their wireless network, which requires a campus login.

I work for a consortium, and I encounter this problem at almost every campus
I serve. When I visit nonacademic libraries, there is absolutely nothing
unusual about being prompted for logon credentials just to access the open
internet (i.e. not subscription databases subject to licensing
restrictions). With few exceptions, I can't get credentials for temporary
access.

Curiously enough, I've come to expect not to have to supply credentials in
most hotels and other businesses I frequent when all I need is internet
access. In the event that I need credentials, these are usually given to me
outright and I can work without restriction.

For all the brouhaha we create over open access, we really make it a PITA to
actually get to anything. As alternative access gets easier, cheaper, and
better, we are steadily getting squeezed out of the action and it's no
mystery why.

kyle

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------
Kyle Banerjee
Digital Services Program Manager
Orbis Cascade Alliance
[email-masked] / 503.999.9787

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From: Walt Lessun <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:52:07 -0500

Come to Gogebic Community College.  You can use our computers and I
might even buy you a beer.

Walter Lessun, MSLS, MBA
Director
Alex D. Chisholm Library
Gogebic Community College
High Tech and Affordable:  Your Superior Educational Choice
http://www.gogebic.edu/library
Ex ultione gaudium  

-----Original Message-----
From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
[mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of Kyle Banerjee
Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 10:42 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] If Academic Libraries Remove Computers, Will
Anyone Come?

> Another twist that I had forgotten: when I go to UC Berkeley to use
the
> connect to their wireless network, which requires a campus login.

I work for a consortium, and I encounter this problem at almost every
campus
I serve. When I visit nonacademic libraries, there is absolutely nothing
unusual about being prompted for logon credentials just to access the
open
internet (i.e. not subscription databases subject to licensing
restrictions). With few exceptions, I can't get credentials for
temporary
access.

Curiously enough, I've come to expect not to have to supply credentials
in
most hotels and other businesses I frequent when all I need is internet
access. In the event that I need credentials, these are usually given to
me
outright and I can work without restriction.

For all the brouhaha we create over open access, we really make it a
PITA to
actually get to anything. As alternative access gets easier, cheaper,
and
better, we are steadily getting squeezed out of the action and it's no
mystery why.

kyle

---

From: Kyle Banerjee <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:58:37 -0700

Now you're talking!  :)