[WEB4LIB] FW: Am. Assoc. of Publishers critical of librarians - more on th e

[Ilene Frank (REF)]

You know what's hard to take about the Pat Schroeder arguments is the
rhetoric. We don't like being demonized! Librarians don't hold books and
journals for themselves.  Librarians hold them on behalf of users. I think
it's worth trying to turn the argument back to "what do the citizens of
this country want and deserve."  Libraries provide access to more material
than individuals could ever afford on their own.

If we see this material as purely entertainment, well, maybe publishers
are right: let the citizenry eat cake if they don't want to pay for the
material.

If we see this material as educational, then we have to ask if *citizens*
- not librarians - want to make it possible for libraries to collect it
and make it available.

Ilene Frank, ifrank at lib.usf.edu
Tampa Campus Library
University of South Florida
Tampa FL 33620-5400