Of course there are dumb questions!
The important thing to remember is that
everyone is ignorant in some areas and the
intelligent person acts to correct
ignorance. A question intended to correct
ignorance is never dumb, no matter how
obvious the answer may seem to others. I
think judge using the fax machine for the
first time is an example of this, and
probably most of the other examples I have
seen posted.
But often, people ask questions that arise
not from a desire to combat one's own
ignorance but through laziness of thought
or, worse, through a calculated effort to
get an answer confirming their view of
things. The attorney who asked the newly
hired looseleaf filer what the librarian
would do all day is a probable example. I
wasn't there, of course, but it seems likely
that the attorney approached the situation
wanting to find evidence that the library
was over-budgeted and asked the one member
of the library staff (the newest) least
likely to be able to give a satisfactory
account. Questions such as these are dumb,
and we ought not to shirk from so labeling
them.
jcc
>>> "Laura E. Olsen Dugan"
<leodugan@LafolletteSinykin.com> 03/13/98
06:10pm >>>
Isn't one of the foundations of reference
service and librarianship that
"no question is a stupid question?"
Many times a week patrons approach me with
"I have a dumb question."
The first thing I say in response is that
"No question is a dumb
question."
The Krikelis Theory of Information Seeking
Behavior demonstrates that
people, particularly ADULTS, are often
afraid or uncomfortable in
approaching librarians with reference and
information-need based
questions. By dispelling the belief that a
patron's question is "dumb"
we help them feel more comfortable in their
request for assistance.
Laura Olsen Dugan
Library & Information Services Manager
LaFollette & Sinykin
One E. Main Street, Suite #500
Madison, WI 53703-3300
(608) 257-3911 voice (608) 257-0609 fax
leodugan@lafollettesinykin.com
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