[WEB4LIB] Re: Coughing up Coffman

[Bill Drew]

Steve Coffman has obviously written a piece to rock the boat and to get
people thinking.  H emakes many good points but also ignores reality in a
good many places.

I really like his ideas for enhancing the catalog with images of book
jackets and with reviews from readers.  Some of his other ideas (technical
side) are good.

One problem.  He doesn't understand the reality of the library world or even
the information technology industry.  How in the world would you ever get
every single library that is automated to agree on a common set of features
let alone giving up limited funds for the development of such a system?

He clearly has a prejudice toward fee based services.  When did the free
public library change from being a social good to a social evil?  I don't
think it has.

On ILL, he clearly doesn't understand limited funding and clearly has no
idea how libraries otuside of LAPL are funded or governed.

I do thank Stve for getting us to think.  We need to have our ideas
challenged.

--
Wilfred Drew (Call me "Bill"); Associate Librarian (Systems, Reference)
Past President, SUNY Librarians Association (SUNYLA)
SUNY College of Ag. & Tech.;   P.O. Box 902;  Morrisville, NY 13408-0902
E-mail: drewwe at morrisville.edu
Phone: (315)684-6055 or 684-6060 Fax: (315)684-6115
Homepage: <http://www.morrisville.edu/~drewwe/>
Not Just Cows: <http://www.morrisville.edu/~drewwe/njc/>
LibraryLinks: <http://www.morrisville.edu/pages/library/>
SUNYLA: <http://www.albany.edu/library/sunyla/>
"It's All About Where You're Goin' -- SUNY Morrisville"
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