Discussion: Digital vs Cyber

[Genie Tyburski]

Alex Fayle wrote:
> 
>      I've been noticing over the past month or so that more and more people
>      are referring to themselves (or others) as Digital Librarians or
>      Digital Archivists instead of CyberLibrarians or Cybrarians.
> 
>      Is that because Digital is more professional sounding, or because
>      Digital is the new trendy word (thanks to Negroponte)?
> 
>      IOW, will the terms with Digital stay for a while, or will they be
>      like Cyber and vanish with the next new trendy term?
> 

I hope they vanish.  Thinking of myself as a digital librarian makes me
wonder if I ought to beep occasionally or at least when others push my
buttons.  Cyberlibrarian, or worse, cybrarian, I can't even pronounce.

Once again, I think the profession is attempting to find a label that
helps patrons understand what we do.  Frankly, I don't think such a
label exists.  

Genie
-- 
Genie Tyburski					PH:  215-864-8151
Research Librarian				FX:  215-864-8999
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Editor of The Virtual Chase Web Site at	http://www.hslc.org/~tyburski/