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Dear Librarian:
I’m so sorry to tell you this, but I’ve decided
to find fulfillment with another; I’m leaving you to find information and
knowledge with someone else. Not as sophisticated or even as smart as you, but it's just so much easier. I know, I know. I begged and I pleaded for you not
to change. Even though I knew your search screens were cluttered and
hard-to-use I knew how to work with them, especially for finding books. I
begged you not to change them. Yes, I remember that I complained even more bitterly when
you didn't listen to me and put in a discovery, one-search-box solution. I moaned and groaned and asked
you to return to being what you were. I didn't want you to change! It's just that I had come to know you so well. I was so comfortable with that somber and serious face that
always greeted me each time when I entered into the library. And I was still comfortable with you even though you confused me with that look of dismay you gave me when
I said I’d searched in your discovery interface and had found something I thought would work, but you replied: “No, no, no! You shouldn’t use that discovery
interface. Instead you should come to the library and ask: What is the best database in
which to find such information?” Then you would show me that search interface
for that best database source. But then it even got more confusing, you had to walk me
through it and explain it in detail. If we switched to another database, it
used a different and equally complex search interface and you’d have to explain
it all over again. However, you did that with such patience and such knowledge.
I was in awe. You were wonderful. You were a constant in my life, one of the
few in a world that is spiraling out-of-control with rapid change outside of
the library doors.
But, I succumbed to temptation and I sampled
searching for information and knowledge on the Web (I confess, I even used Wikipedia and Google Scholar.). The interfaces were so
attractive, so simple, straight-forward and easy-to-use. I often could find so much with just one search
interface! No one scolded me for doing so. I could FIND all kinds of information and
knowledge. Even more important I could
do this everywhere I went, no matter what device I used, and I could do it all
by myself. Why… some of the new interfaces I used even injected humor into the
exchanges. I recently got a new smartphone and I can talk to it and ask it to
find information for me and it does. If I get silly with it, it gets silly
back. It is great fun and so very useful. And then I realized: I have other options
in where I find information and knowledge. Oh, I know, you told me: "It's not as good, it's quality information that matters." Yet, I realized, you taught me well. I can take what you’ve taught me
about evaluating information sources and apply it -- on my own. I don’t have to
come ask you what database to use. I don’t need to have you explain how to
search. I can just find information by typing my questions and keywords and see what comes
back, and then evaluate it and select, or try again. It’s so easy, so simple. It’s hard to
explain, but I just fell in love with it.
I feel terrible and I realize I’m being the
fickle one here. You did just what I told you to do, and now I’m leaving you
because of it. I’m so sorry. I hope we can remain friends. When I long for the
smell and touch of a book, I’d love to be able to drop by and see you again.
But it won’t be often, I promise (although I’d still like to sleep on your comfortable sofa and chairs occasionally, if you don’t mind). But when it comes to finding information and
knowledge, my heart now belongs to another.
So very sorry.
Your former,
End-user.
This does not have to happen, nor should it, but what I describe above is based on individual events we've all seen happen. I hope this post will help some to step back and critically analyze what they're doing, from the end-user point of view, and then make some adjustments. In the next post, I'll talk about that.
(P.S. A huge thanks to those librarians who reviewed/commented on this before I posted it. My posts always benefit from your comments. You know who you are.)
