A Library commercial (A Reply to Cliff)

[Tim Mallory]

Cliff-
   I need to clarify my vision.  I did not envision a commercial
denigrating computers, but rather glorifying libraries.

>On Wed, 30 Oct 1996 curr at mnsinc.com wrote:
> Tim, I liked your idea of a commercial showing computers in a 
> less-than-positive light, but the PB commercial will, IMHO, encourage some 
> high-level admin types to feel it is fine to jettison their community's 
> library or minimize allocations to it because they think "the Internet has 
> or will have everything a library has. Who needs a library when the net is 
> free."

   In the past, I worked in one of those communities that jettisoned their
library - twice!  I felt this was caused by a director who felt that we
should emphasise to the community that their poor funding of the library
was causing them to have a poor library.  (Prop. 13 in rural Calif.)
   Rather than making them pass a bond issue, this caused them to close
the library completely.  Who needs a poor library?
    A positive approach needs to show a place people want to go, and want
to support.  From working with the public every day, I think we should
publicize computers and the internet, and that they are available at your
local tax-supported library.  Even people who can afford computers and
internet connection charges (still far under 50% of the population) look
to the library information and advice about new technology.  Very few
people can buy every genereation of computer equipment so most people,
most of the time, are behind the curve.  We (ahem, those of us here on
this elite list) are on the leading edge.......
    OK, i'm getting a little overblown here, but that's what commercials
are all about.  Sell ourselves.  Show that we are where they want to be.
We may exaggerate our accomplishments,  and we will certainly push some
libraries ahead.  At least I hope we would create that kind of pressure.
If we create high expectations of libraries, the public will feel we are
worthwhile . . . and worth funding.
    I'm getting lightheaded from this soapbox position. Gotta go.

----------------------------------------- _..... __.. . _.. _____ 
Tim Mallory, Reference Librarian
Aberdeen Timberland Library     Voice:   360-533-2360   
121 E. Market St.                 FAX:   360-532-2953
Aberdeen, WA  98520-5292       e-mail:   tmallory at timberland.lib.wa.us
__%\__"round and round goes the wind" - ecclesiastes i:6 __%\__)))))>>>*