[WEB4LIB] Nicholas Baker in the Chronicle of Higher Education

[Caleb Tucker-Raymond]

On Thu, 10 May 2001, Drew, Bill wrote:

> Here is the blurb from the Daily Chronicle:
> 
> IN HIS LATEST BOOK, the author Nicholson Baker cautions 
>    libraries against moving forward too quickly with information 
>    technologies that could lead to the destruction of printed 
>    library materials.
>    --> SEE http://chronicle.com/free/2001/05/2001051003t.htm
> 
> 
> While I haven't read his book, the interview in the Chronicle shows a well
> thought out argument for keeping the physical material after it has been
> digitized.  I don't find much to argue with him on.

Baker's statements like "The job of the research library is to keep the
stuff that people read" and the idea that libraries throw out newspapers
because microfilm is "exciting and new" are based on misconceptions, if
not flat out wrong.

Maybe some good will come out of it, either in clearing up these and
similar misconceptions or in rallying support for funding of "newspaper
wings" for every library in the country, nay, world.

ctr
elec. sys. libn.
st. marys col. of ca.

> ___________________ 
> Wilfred (Bill) Drew 
> Associate Librarian, Systems and Reference 
> SUNY Morrisville College Library 
> E-mail: mailto:drewwe at morrisville.edu
> BillDrew.Net: http://billdrew.net/ 
> Not Just Cows: http://people.morrisville.edu/~drewwe/njc/ 
> Library: http://www.morrisville.edu/library/ 
> Wireless Librarian: http://people.morrisville.edu/~drewwe/wireless/ 
> Have Laptop -- Will Travel.
> "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy
> test.''- George W. Bush; Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001 
>