Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Threat to our position: User Focus

How far do we go in revamping the library science professional structure? The article , Toward a User Centered Information Service, by Ruth C.T. Morris addresses this debate from the perspective of economic climate change and the alterations in the patron's mentality with respect to how they process and seek information. In order to get inside the user's head, it is essential to address the social changes directly influencing the library science profession from the 'user-centered' focus (2). As Morris suggests, the library science professional can benefit from becoming acquainted with the user's approach to information and how this approach impacts on the users understanding of the information systems utilized in the library setting. The wide range of this is discussed in two simple points. The user operating out of the traditional paradigm and the user not focusing withing this limitation regarding their total behavior (8).

The article was refreshing in many parts, however, I struggle with the idea that these two components are appropriate for the full analysis of the user. While broad, these criteria are almost too restrictive. For instance, there is almost an insistence that people either fit in the paradigm or they are so far from it that they don't even come close to conforming into the expectation.

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