Packard Bell commercial

[Chuck Bearden]

--- On Tue, 29 Oct 1996 11:45:56 -0800  PETER BROMBERG 
<BROMBERG.PETER at epamail.epa.gov> wrote:

[snip]

[NOTEMUS BENE, BIBLIOTHECARII!]

>We will never again see the library through the
>eyes of a library-newbie, through the eyes of a
>non-user.  The non-user's vision is precious.  It
>is VALUABLE INFORMATION.  What we choose to do
>with that info is up to us.  

-----------------End of Original Message-----------------


I would like to second Peter Bromberg's response to the PB 
commercial.  Rather than seeming touchy about the portrayal 
of librarians, I suggest we respond cogently and with good 
humor.  Let's not reinforce whatever inclination there already 
is to make us into punching dummies.  And we do need to think 
about what it means that a company can exploit such an image 
of librarians and expect it to connect with their viewers.  

I thought the heavy-handedness of the commercial was kind 
of funny, and I'm sure it was meant that way.  What disturbed 
me the most about it was the blithe implication that anyone 
can do from home with a PC and the 'Net what can be done in 
the library.  In my view, this misconception of the nature of 
librarians' work in organizing and offering information is far 
more damaging to our profession than the stereotype of 
librarians as neo-Nazis.  The general public has little or no 
conception of the value we add to information, value which is 
largely absent from Internet finding aids.  The Web appears 
at first to be friendlier and more colorful than the library, 
but what "rowling chaos" lurks beneath that face!  I submit 
that this misconception, rather than the Orwellian portrayal 
of librarians, is the point at which we ought to attack.  

In any case, the accompanying press release makes it seem like 
not all the commercial portrayed the library, but also commuting 
and standing in bank lines.  

Here is the URL from which PB's info on the commercial, including 
the commercial itself, can be retrieved:  

	http://www.packardbell.com/ads96/index.html

Chuck

-------------------------------------------------------------
Chuck Bearden			email: cbearden at hpl.lib.tx.us
Catalog Department		voice: 713/247-3499
Houston Public Library		fax:   713/247-3158
500 McKinney Ave.
Houston, TX  77002		-=> NOT SPEAKING FOR HPL <=-
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