Filters and collection development

[Burt, David]

Here we go again...

Point 1) You guys are all using the wrong selection model.
The square peg model of selection/non-selection/censorship currently
being rammed into the round hole of Internet "selection" is all wrong.
The "select a book, defend it from removal (other than normal weeding,
of course)" model is inappropriate for the Internet for two reasons:  a)
You consciously select (well, most of the time) each book for your
library.  You don't with the Internet.  b)  Books in the library
actually exist there.  Internet resource don't.

We all agree that the above model works great for books in our
libraries, but it's very bad logic to insist that this now applies with
equal vigor to the potentiality  of access to resources outside the
library, which nobody ever selected, nor ever would have selected.  We
simply don't hold resources outside of our libraries to the same
standards.  If a children's dept. provides a broadcast of "Sesame
Street", we don't say that we have now "selected" television, and must
now let the kiddies watch "The Flintstones" as well, least we become one
of the evil censors.

Point 2) Is filtering selection?
No.  It's closest to non-selection.  How can you seriously argue that
choosing to not offer access to a resource which does not exist in your
library is censorship?  If filtering is censorship,  then so is
non-selection.

Point 3) The "economic" argument.
I thought we'd put this one to bed.  Ok, here's what I said last time:

You make an error here  by assuming that use of the Internet is an
unlimited resources, with no opportunity cost.  Use of the Internet in a
public library is a finite resource.  Just as you only have so many
books, you only have so many blocks of Internet time to allocate to your
patrons.  The opportunity cost of one person looking at porno is that
someone else can't do their homework, or look up a sports statistic.
What you need to think about is what's an appropriate use of scarce
resources.

You also don't address the issue of appropriateness.  Economics isn't
the only reason we don't collect everything in our libraries.  Public
libraries don't carry Hustler or Deep Throat.  This isn't because of
economics, it's because it isn't considered appropriate.

Keep 'em coming,

David


  ***********************************************************
          David Burt, Information Technology Librarian 
          The Lake Oswego Public Library 
          706 Fourth Street, Lake Oswego, OR 97034
          URL:          http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/library/library.htm
          Phone:     (503) 635-0392 
          Fax:           (503) 635-4171 
          E-mail:      dburt at ci.oswego.or.us