I just read the article by Jenny Levine titled "We're Not All Ready For the Cloud Yet." I totally agree with the reservations expressed in this thoughtful take on the Cloud. From a the position of a lowly library ILL clerk, I find the concept of instructing patrons on the intricacies of modern technology -- Cloud technology, etc. -- to be daunting in the extreme.
Are library clerks to be replaced by IT personnel? I realize that to be viable in this and the coming century libraries must evolve in the manner by which information and knowledge is spreading and transmitting, but I would not feel qualified to counsel a patron on complex computer issues without a great deal more knowledge than I currently possess regarding all things IT.
One area I believe libraries could significantly impact and serve the public -- that I so far have not seen addressed in any depth in this online workshop -- is the area of unemployment. The library at which I work sees many, many patrons walking through the doors to access public computers in order to apply for employment, the only method of application allowed by an overwhelming number of businesses and potential employers in this day and age.
People must work to survive. After all, our economy depends on it.
A large majority of these patrons are not computer savvy. For these patrons, computer illiteracy equals unemployment.
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