Libraries -- information or misinformation sources?

[Richard Prairie]

Dear web4lib members:

I received the follwing message from another list to which I subscribe.
Please at least carbon copy to info at turbopress.com any responses you have.

Thank you,

Richard Prairie


From:	SkeptInq at aol.com
Subject:      Libraries -- information or misinformation sources?
To:	CSICOP-ANNOUNCE at LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Date:	Mon, 27 Mar 2000 07:23:23 -0500

The New Zealand Skeptics have asked us to help.  If you can provide any
information please respond directly to them at:

info at turbopress.com


  Greetings folks,

  I've been asked to challenge our local librarians with some brain
  food this week, and am thinking about seeing how they reconcile
  their mission of "informing the public with integrity and quality
  resourcing" and having vastly more pseudo-science materials on
  their shelves than any critiques thereof.

  I would be very grateful if anyone can point me to any useful
  thought pieces on such a topic. My committee here in NZ couldn't
  think of any material dealing with this, which is a little surprising
  given that it must be a pretty obvious target.

  I thought I'd start off with the idea that the library upgrades its
  resources as they become aware that they are lacking in certain
  areas, either by increasing the offerings in a particular subject area
  or by removing (deaccessioning!) material that is wrong and
  replacing it with better works. (I know they've done this recently
  with medieval clothing and cooking for example, where some
  particularly poor works have been quietly replaced by books that
  have real research in them...).

  I guess I'm looking to see if there are examples of where libraries
  have decided, for whatever reason, not to stock material and how
  they made those decisions. Not so much the "ban Noddy" type of
  PC decision-making, but more the ways in which libraries shape
  the information database they represent through selection of books.

  Anybody out there looked at the library shelves lately and
  wondered why astrology books outnumber astronomy? And should
  we care? Do we have a right to complain?

  I'd appreciate any suggestions, and I have until Thursday (your
  time) to come up with The Answer :-)

  Best regards,
  VIcki Hyde
  Chair entity NZCSICOP
  info at turbopress.com