FW: electronic brown wrappers

[Gilbert, Richard A]

>Sara Weissman wrote:
>
>We have been largely
>shielded from the whys/wherefores and whatits of people's information
>uses ..and now we are not? Is that what is driving this thread?
>Intense professional squirming?
>
>I think this is a large part of it.  More librarians are having to deal with
>issues such as "dangerous" information and censorship by omission in their
>everyday jobs rather than in theoretical discussions at a library conference.
> This change has come about due to the differences in information searching
>on the Internet as opposed to in the physical library.  Using a web browser
>to search for an embarrassing or forbidden topic is much easier for a library
>customer than going up to the reference desk and asking a complete stranger
>where to find it on the shelves.  A typical public library that had only a
>few requests for socially unacceptable materials before Internet Access, now
>sees patrons using the Internet to access these materials.  
>
>
>Richard Gilbert
>ragilbert at ems.jsc.nasa.gov
>