Week 6 - Thing 15 - Perspectives

The mountain isn't coming to the library, so the library has to go to the mountain.As much as I am a "hold the item in my hand" kind of guy, I understand that, in this day and age, it is not about my preferences. The focus should always doing the best by our patrons. I believe that this is the focus of both Rick Anderson and Michael Stephens. We need to serve our patrons needs and use the delivery systems that are most relevant to them. We need to make sure that these systems are organized and updated to provide the best information in a constantly changing world. I spent fifteen years in retail, mostly in catalog shworooms. They offered good product at reasonable price by having customers order items which were stored in a warehouse. Everything was organized and relatively efficient. In an age of increasing instant gratification, customers did not want to wait. Whereas, catalog showrooms in many ways pioneered several of the innovations that all retailers use now to satisfy customer needs, they still insisted to focus on a delivery system that did not meet the customers needs. They are gone now. I do not think that is the way that libraries are going as this course indicates. We just need to keep reminding ourselves of our purpose.