[WEB4LIB] RE: E-mail in libraries

[Jon Pearson]

>Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 12:17:03 -0500
>To: e-wigg at evanston.lib.il.us
>From: Jon Pearson <jonp at mail.utexas.edu>
>Subject: Re: [WEB4LIB] RE: E-mail in libraries
>In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.19981020111121.00a68b50 at ellington.evanston.lib.il.us>
>
>At 09:37 AM 10/20/1998 -0700, you wrote:
>>At 09:08 PM 10/19/98 -0700, "Floyd Ingram" <fingram at mindspring.com> wrote:
>>>I am with Dan Lester on this issue.  IT IS NOT narrow-mindedness...it is
>>>good management and the assurance that no one get deprived of their time to
>>>do research on a computer.  
>>[deletia]
>>>  Librarians are too d-mn liberal and try
>>>to be too MANY things to everybody.  It is fine for public libraries to
>>>provide e-mail and chat services since they have that purpose to provide
>>>services to the community (e-mail to those who do not have access to it
>>>elsewhere such as home, etc.).
>>--------
>>>Thanks, Bill!  I am glad that the proponents of e-mail and chat access on
>>>public PCs in the library do not work in my library.   Again, we have labs
>>>to serve that PURPOSE!  For those who want to communicate with researchers
>>>elsewhere or chat with classmates, we have places on campus for them.  As
>>>for the faculty and staff, they have their own PCs.
>>--------
>>>So without e-mail, they will not use the library?...that's a shame!  That
>>>must be an average or below student who walked his way through college
doing
>>>very little scholarly work.  We have "D" students who have never set
foot in
>>>a library...BUT they don't graduate.
>>--------
>>>The "Bozos" that Dan is talking about do exist in academia...and include
>>>some students and a few professors.  That's right!  Yes, your future
>>>leaders...some of these crooks have graduated to Capitol Hill where they
are
>>>fleecing America.  We are speaking from an ACADEMIA prospective here.  I am
>>>not advocating the restriction of the use of e-mail, chat, etc. in public
>>>libraries.  Gee, why are there so many sensitive people on the Net?  I
>>>suppose the ACLU is in this, too.
>>--------
>>
>>It's nice to know that YOU'RE not narrow minded. I'm so glad that all your
>>faculty and staff have their own computers and that your students have so
>>many computer labs to go to that they don't need to use the library.
>>
>>It's also so refreshing to hear that your students and faculty, not to
>>mention all politicians (who are also all crooks), are bozos. And as for
>>the students who don't come to the library, who needs them? Let them fail
>>just like they deserve. It's just those damn liberal librarians who believe
>>in service to patrons, encouraging library use and making the technology
>>serve the users rather than the librarian's ideas about what is a
>>respectable research need, who cause all the problems (all members of the
>>ACLU and fellow travelers no doubt).
>>
>>Not all policies suit all libraries, but it's this kind foaming at the
>>mouth that drives me towards the permissive end of the spectrum. Why do I
>>get the idea that there are probably lots of people out in Web4Lib-space
>>who are also very glad they do not work in the same library as Mr. Ingram?
>>
>>Edward
>>
>
>
>Yahoo Eduardo!  I've been following this thread of email discussion and
I've been frustrated because  I have tried to post but have been unable to.
Hopefully now the problem is solved.
>
>I just want to say as someone who has worked in both public and academic
libraries for the last 12 years (too damn long) and who is now currently
half way through a graduate program in Library Science that I am pleased to
see that there are still many folks out there who take to heart the
librarian's tradition of service (without judgement) and what, I feel, is
at the very core of the democratic heritage of the American library - i.e.
unlimited access to information resources and tools. Though I am not so
idealistic that I do not realize that limited resources and funds play a
constraining role - I also realize that it is our responsibility as
librarians, or support staff, or whatever name you choose to go by to try
to circumvent those restraints in imaginative ways and provide a setting
where people are free to look at whatever they want and make up their own
minds without some librarian passing judgement on whether their activities
are "worthwhile", "useful", or "productive".
>
>Here we all are, probably at our jobs using a computer that doesn't really
belong to us to post messages to this list. We take that for granted and
feel we are entitled to it, but when it comes to some hapless "bozo"
suddenly they are taking up time and space and wasting valuable resources.
I guess the most vociferous opponents of the idle time and resource wasters
have never used their computer at work for personal business or recreation?
My suggestion? Those who are so quick to foam at the mouth and point the
finger (a little Floyd Ingram joke - get it, fingram) should stop sitting
on their backsides posting messages to this and other lists and get out
there and be of some assistance or use to somebody. Don't let your fancy
job title or your techno-elitist posturing get in the way!
>
>
>--  Jon  --