[Web4lib] Paperless society

[Zoe Stewart-Marshall]

If telephone books are becoming more scarce than why do I, each year, 
receive multiple sets from competing vendors... ?  And why do my 
relatives who live in different parts of the country receive multiple 
sets from competing vendors?

As long as we have land line phones, imho there may be a market for 
paper based telephone books with yellow pages.  Sometimes it's just 
way more convenient than hauling out and starting up your computer 
(which not everyone has) or your PDA (which not everyone has) or 
calling information (and getting charged) or wading through outdated 
and irrelevant information that you got in a google search (because 
not everyone is a reference librarian)...

zoe

At 10:34 AM 2/11/2008, you wrote:
>Bill, nobody said one size fits all and nobody said that phone books are
>going to disappear, so please put away your straw men.  I have not called
>anyone names, I have no chastised anyone, I have not told anyone what tools
>they should use.
>
>I've only said that just because one user still uses the oldest available
>container for this kind of information doesn't negate the fact that
>phonebooks are becoming more scarce.  We all know why they are becoming more
>scarce- it is for the same reason that print newspaper circulation numbers
>continue to fall.
>
>These are a meaningful indicators of a trend that will continue to impact
>the work of libraries- even those with librarians who prefer the paper
>phonebook.
>
>Best,
>
>-David
>
>On Feb 11, 2008 10:28 AM, Bill Drew <dreww at tc3.edu> wrote:
>
> > The phone book is efficient if you don't have a computer as my father
> > does not.  Old formats do not always go away.  I am tired of the view
> > that one size fits all.  It is arrogant at best and at the worst tries
> > to fit everyone into the same mold.  What is efficient for DavidRothman
> > may not be efficient or even possible for some one else.
> >
> > Wilfred (Bill) Drew
> > Interim Library Director
> > Librarian, Systems and Tech Services
> > Tompkins Cortland Community College  (TC3) Library:
> > http://www.tc3.edu/library/
> > Dryden, N.Y. 13053-0139
> > E-mail: dreww at tc3.edu
> > Phone: 607-844-8222 ext.4406
> > AOL Instant Messenger:BillDrew4
> > StrengthsQuest: Ideation, Input, Learner, Activator, Communication
> >
> > >>> "David Rothman" <david.rothman at gmail.com> 2/11/2008 10:04 AM >>>
> >  And it is convenient to have a horse-and-buggy if your car breaks down.
> >  So?
> >
> > On Feb 11, 2008 9:51 AM, Carol Bean <beanworks at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Not so inefficient when the internet connection is down or
> > non-existent
> > >
> > > Carol
> > >
> > >
> > > On Feb 11, 2008 9:35 AM, David Rothman <david.rothman at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Jocelyn-
> > > >
> > > > Telephone books are *much* more scarce than they used to be.  That
> > you
> > > > continue to use the most inefficient available container for this
> > sort
> > > > of
> > > > information doesn't make the assertion silly or wrong.
> > > >
> > > > -David
> > > > David Rothman
> > > > Community General Hospital Medical Library
> > > > Syracuse, NY
> > > >  On Feb 11, 2008 9:29 AM, Jocelyn Shaw <redfernshaw at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I had to chuckle at the quote:
> > > > >
> > > > >  "'Paper is no longer the master copy; the digital version is,'
> > says
> > > > > Brewster Kahle, the founder and director of the Internet Archive,
> > a
> > > > > nonprofit digital library. 'Paper has been dealt a complete
> > deathblow.
> > > > > When
> > > > > was the last time you saw a telephone book?'"...
> > > > >
> > > > > Having used the phone book twice in the last 20 minutes to
> > answer
> > > > > reference
> > > > > questions I found it quite humorous.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Jocelyn Shaw
> > > > > Librarian
> > > > > Hackley Public Library
> > > > > 316 W Webster
> > > > > Muskegon MI 49440
> > > > >
> > > > > The Smartest Card. Get it. Use it.
> > > > > @ the Hackley Public Library
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Carol Bean
> > > beanworks at gmail.com
> >  _______________________________________________
> > Web4lib mailing list
> > Web4lib at webjunction.org
> > http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> >
>_______________________________________________
>Web4lib mailing list
>Web4lib at webjunction.org
>http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/