[WEB4LIB] more bad press for librarians

[David Merchant]

Clay Shirky says:  "Billington characterized  the desire to have the 
contents of books in digital form as "arrogance" and "hubris..."

But Billington actually said:  "It is dangerous to promote the illusion 
that you can get anything you want by                 sitting in front of a 
computer screen." He described this as "arrogance" and "hubris".

Saying that it is dangerous to promote that you can get _anything_ via the 
internet is not quite the same thing as saying the desire to have books 
digitalized is arrogance.  Shirky extrapolated, and extrapolated maybe a 
bit too far, a bit unfairly.  While I disagree with Billington on some of 
his statements, after reading his remarks to the National Press Club, he 
wasn't the ogre that was first painted for me.

Saying "We should be very hesitant ... that you are going to get everything 
you want electronically" is not the same as saying we shouldn't put 
anything at all up electronically.  Hesitant is the key word, he didn't say 
"we should not" he said "we should be very hesitant" which are two 
different things.  I do think Billington is too hesitant, myself, but I do 
see he is very willing to put up rare items electronically.  Putting up 
rare items shows that he doesn't have "contempt for U.S. citizens who don't 
happen to live within walking distance of his
library" for if he did, he wouldn't be putting up those very rare 
items!!!  Hello?  And I feel that is the right priority: get the rare items 
up, items that are impossible to get via interlibrary loan from some other 
library or impossible to find at your own local library, or nearly 
impossible.  Many other items the LOC has can be found at some area 
library, or via interlibrary loan from some other library, or heck maybe 
already on the Internet.  After that is done, then let's talk to him about 
getting the other stuff up as well (that which copyright laws will 
allow!  Which brings up another point -- Billington is right: it's an 
illusion to think we can or will get everything online, not until you make 
it impossible for someone to abuse the copyright of an item that is not yet 
in the public domain).

Call for Billington's resignation?  Bit harsh for the circumstances.  No 
one is perfect, has the perfect vision, has the perfect plan.  Not me, not 
Billington, not Shirky.  Billington's imperfect plans, vision and ideas are 
not so imperfect as to call for his resignation, rather, dialogue / 
exchange of information and ideas / debate seems the better route.  Who 
knows, he could always rethink and soften on this or that.  Call for 
Billington's resignation?  I've got too many other more pressing and more 
real crisises to take care of, thank you.

TTFN,
David Merchant

Systems Librarian, Louisiana Tech University
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