On Jan 12,  9:54am, Jan Anderson wrote:
> Subject: Re: Audience Survey
>      First, let me put my added musings in context by making it
> clear that I am a librarian.
>      My point?  1) Many questions asked on the Net could and probably
> should be answered via a library search.  The volume of information
> some folks request is stunning.  My personal favorite was the
> individual who asked people to send him/her any and all information
> on Joan of Arc (!!).
 
Jan et al,:
 
As a big-volume library user...at university, in art and historical
museums/societies, etc.  I would like to add my two bits.
Many library staff (clerks for the most part) do not know how to help someone
doing very specialized research.  I went the other day to get information
about Jan van Eyck's and Robert Campin's use of convex mirrors in 15th
century Early Netherlandish Paintings.  I had to do it all by myself...not
that I mind because, though I'm only in third year, I have been using the
university library for 6 or 7 years.
The librarians do know how to help, I'm sure.  At York University, Mary
Williamson, the Fine Arts Librarian/Bibliographer is brilliant in my opinion,
but she cannot help every undergrad. or grad. student find exactly the right
information on little written about topics.
I agree some people may be lazy today, and asking for all references about
Joan van Arc from a discussion group is ridiculous, but some people do ask
valid questions that impose little upon most readers...who do not, after all,
have to reply.
 
--
Joshua Heuman     (*)  (*)
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