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April 12, 2006
Poor Excuses for Lack of Services
Michael Stephens has a post entitled "Five Phrases I Hope I Never Hear in Libraries Again (based on a true story)" but I think it could be titled "Five Excuses To Never Acecpt as Reasons to Not Do Things." He cites libraries blocking IM on their networks as an example, but I think that his five reasons bear up to scrutiny for many new service issues--not just in libraries, and not just technology projects. Michael does a great job of expanding on each of these, but here they are in a condensed version. His five phrases/excuses are:
- We've always done it this way.
- He/She is a roadblock for anything to get done.
- The IT department won't let us.
- I don't have time for (insert new social tool here).
- Our director doesn't like technology.
Number 3 is the one I hear most often when related to IM, but number 5 is the one I hear most frequently in regards to all sorts of new ideas and projects. Again, not just for technology. Replace "technology" with "teen services," "storytimes," or "meetings." If the director doesn't like it, try to educate him or her. Talk over staff and user needs with the director. Try to make your case as hard as you can. If you believe in a service or initiative enough, you will do everything you can to make it happen--including taking an unpopular position with your administration. You work for the users--don't forget that.
April 12, 2006 | Permalink
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Comments
I'll add three:
1) It won't work.
2) Why are we just jumping on the technology bandwagon?
3) How can I be expected to keep up with all this?
I push colleagues and my staff to adopt technology. To me, it is just part of our professional obligation; we have a responsibility to understand the ways in which information is flowing from producers to consumers.
I am patient, despite the fact that I am bewildered by professional librarians who have had computers on their desks for fifteen years, yet who still don't get it. I answer their questions as best I can and I attempt not to offend or freak them out. I try to get them to understand that these things are not staplers- what they do, and how they work is rapidly evolving and it affects their work. This makes response #3 (by far the most frequent) the most disheartening. The answer, unkind as this may seem is, "You are a professional- you signed up for this."
Posted by: Steve | April13, 2006
Great point about "meetings" and such. That can really hurt a library if the director is only into one or two things and let's the other stuff lag.
Posted by: Michael Stephens | April13, 2006
