[WEB4LIB] RE: Books on Demand

[Daniel Messer]

Blake Carver wrote:

> She said technology would have a devastating effect on intellectual property
> and  our economy if used the way many librarians advocate.

To be honest, she's right. Just like the esteemed Mr. Tennant says, traditional
methods of copyright are dead. But I think blaming librarians for this is like
blaming the book of matches for starting a fire. Somone had to strike the match, and
I don't believe you're going to find a librarian with a pyromaniac streak in them.
Nor are you going to find just one person to blame. Even computers themselves aren't
the blame, they more like the book of matches. Computers offer methods of doing
things. You can do more than one thing with a computer, some of these things were
never intended by the designer of the computer. When hardware techs at Dell or Apple
or wherever sit down to discuss how to build a new computer, they do focus on some
key things. They want it have great sound, a fast processor, a high speed modem and
internet capabilites, and a good graphics card. Why? Because they're designing a
computer for online gaming for people who like to play Quake III over the internet.
However, all those above specs make the computer a perfect platform for playing MP3s
with high graphic plugins running at the same time. Did the designers have that in
mind? Truthfully it may have been in the back of their minds, but it wasn't the
original intent of the computer.
    And the biggest problem of all is the statistics. Notice that the RIAA and the
APA and the MPAA and a whole lot of other organizations with the letter A in their
names don't quote a lot of statistics? You don't often hear them saying how much CD
sales have gone down since Napster hit the scene do you? You don't usually hear them
griping that book sales are down because of libraries, have you? The reason for this
is simple, again and again, statistics shoot the big conglomerates right in the
foot. Studies show that people who used Napster bought MORE CDs than the averange
non-Napster using person. I think almost any librarian can vouch that people who use
the library tend to buy more books than people who don't. In other words, the people
using these so called "threats" to the industry, are actually supporting the
industry more than most.
    I have never read a library policy that states that their mission is to "provide
free books and materials to the public so that publishers may go hungry at night and
lose money because the person didn't buy the book." A library is there to provide
free access to all information. And sure, of course we advocate technology as a
method to fullfill that obligation. Librarians aren't out to get the publishers, as
the APA would have the public believe, it's quite the other way around.

Sorry for the long one, this is just a sensitive subject with me...
Dan

--

Mondai wa
The subject in queston...
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Daniel Messer
Technologies Instructor
Yakima Valley Regional Library
102 N 3rd St  Yakima, WA 98901
(509) 452-8541 x712
dmesser at yvrls.lib.wa.us
---
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yume no shamen miagete (itsuka wa)
yuke-sou na ki ga suru kara
     Chage & Asuka "On Your Mark"