CONNECTICUT LIBRARIES
March 2004, Vol. 46, No. 3
Most library directors do not come to the profession through a computer background. No matter how much we read about automation, no matter how much we learn about successful activities, and no matter how hard we work to bring computers into our libraries, we must still take one more vital step: We must ask questions.These thoughts came to mind recently as I read this book. I reflected on my own early automation activities. The first of my three projects was a local information and referral database in one community. In another city, it was a study of bibliographic access among different libraries in the county. In the same city, another of my projects was to develop a program for providing computers for use in adult literacy. By the way, I have to admit that this last project also had an unstated goal. I needed to get computers, other materials, and related equipment into my library.
In each instance, the projects evolved from questions I asked:
Lynn Jurewicz has a broad background in technical and public services in academic and public libraries. At the time this book was published, she was the director of a small Indiana public library. Todd Cutler is a product engineer committed to providing automated solutions to public libraries. He draws on industrial automation for those solutions. Both Jurewicz and Cutler were disappointed with pre-designed offerings from automation vendors. They found that the so-called "solutions" did not fit the needs of their staff and their patrons.
- In a time of economic distress, how can we link people with the social services they need?
- How can libraries with (or without) automation link together for public access?
- Can we use personal computers and literacy software to strengthen adult reading?
And so, Jurewicz and Cutler adopted the service ethic of library automation guru Walt Crawford: "Technology does not define libraries . . . Technology is a tool . . . Libraries should serve their communities." Determined to resolve their library's marketing and communications issues, the two embarked on the design of real solutions to common library problems.
In High Tech, High Touch, the authors describe the innovations they brought to their small library by starting with the core question of how they can better serve the community. They then asked:
Among the solutions they developed, two stand out. Their automatic email notification system alerts borrowers about books that may be of interest to them. Their web-based software system allows patrons to register for programs or reserve meeting rooms online. The ideas Jurewicz and Cutler present in this book encourage library staff at all levels to start their thinking with the issue of how technology can be used to improve customer service, rather than by simply looking at the technology available.
- Why should libraries expect vendors to design solutions to meet their needs?
- Are libraries limited to solutions designed for business?
Their solutions may inspire readers to consider custom-designed solutions or give a tech-savvy administrator insight into the previously unexplored possibilities of the library's web site. The authors might encourage a children's librarian to request a more streamlined program registration process. A circulation head or a marketing manager may gain ideas on what is out there, as well as the incentive to seek people with the technological skills to make it happen.
All of us - at any job level in a library, with or without a strong background in automation - can ask questions that further our services. Read High Tech, High Touch for the fresh ideas it will stimulate. Then ask questions!
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