Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
searches or the 'free beer, free kittens' approach that some see as being
represented by the open-source systems (Pattern, 2009b).
Although the cost is there, can we afford to stay as we are? Two very
different sessions at the 2009 UKSG Conference asked, 'Why is Google
so easy and the library so hard?' (Duddy, 2009a) and 'Why do we want
to teach our users to be librarians?' (Pattern, 2009a). They are
important questions, and in themselves are justifications for investing in
new systems, even in a period of financial hardship. With increasing
attention being paid to National Student Surveys, resource discovery
and e-resources provision can often be an open goal regarding negative
student satisfaction.
We're facing challenging budget years ahead. It's essential that we raise
the profile of the library and demonstrate real value.
(Shipp, 2009)
New systems should allow us to avoid those duplications of A-Z lists
on the web pages, the library catalogue and the link resolver, while
bringing in isolated collections in other parts of the university, such as
the repository, etc. What our users want is a Google search with
Google-like results (Lauridsen and Stone, 2009). We must not make the
mistake of assuming that Google and library resource-discovery systems
are mutually exclusive, neither should we assume that just because
Google is the first point of call it is the only one - one size does not fit
all (King, 2008).
Google indexes thousands of pages every day that are outside the realms
of 'traditional' literature and academic discourse . . .
. . . There is information out there that doesn't exist anywhere else.
Google is a superb tool for locating it.
(Duddy, 2009b)
Our job over the next five to ten years is to provide a way to access these
valuable resources in an intuitive, easy-to-use one-stop shop, and not to
be afraid of running a continual beta test where new services and
functions can be added as and when necessary. To do this we need
flexible, interoperable resource-discovery systems based on open-source
software. In addition, we must keep evaluating users' needs and reach
out by adapting our systems to fit their requirements, rather than
expecting them to come to us; indeed, our very future depends on it.
