Because of this great variety of resources, people can be inundated with information, and the librarians help them refine their searches. The new age makes them even more valuable, and it has changed the nature of the job. |
Even a huge library couldn't have provided these kinds of resources 25 years ago. It's something that we are particularly excited about to have those capabilities. |
If it's (a certain book) not being used, that's a pretty good indicator. Fiction generally has a shorter shelf life than nonfiction, though if, for instance, we have the last copy of 'Tom Sawyer' I don't care if it hasn't been checked our for five years, we're not getting rid of it. |
It's an ongoing process. Librarians look at what's popular and where there are gaps in the collections. |
Nobody wants to read a book to learn how to type a letter on the computer. Before you know it, material on computers is out of date, and there's so much material online (that people can access). |
We're not going to stock the latest DVD that you can get at Blockbuster. Our mission drives what we buy. |