Victoria Heller wrote: > I think it's because books, music, video are becoming virtually free, > available anytime, anywhere -- thanks to cutting edge technology. You > can print a hardcopy book in your living room now. The libraries of > the future will provide access terminals and the best printers > available. We don't need the Dewey Decimal System anymore - nor do we > need $100 million buildings with heavy payrolls. > > Megathanks to Bill Gates. > > Thanks to R. T. Rybak too for the financial discipline.
Perhaps Ms. Heller hasn't been to a library recently. First off, many people can't afford a computer. Related to that is that many people could possibly afford a computer but simply don't have the technical expertise to run the computers that they have. My father has a computer and he can get into and out of e-mail and Word but beyond that, it takes some serious technical support from his kids to keep him going. Not everyone has this and frankly computers are getting more difficult to operate rather than easier. The public libraries provide all people access to the wonderful word of electronic information without the cost or problems. If you go to the libraries today, Saturday, you will most likely see people lined up to use the computers. In fact, it seems that there is an almost insatiable need from the public for computer access and the libraries fulfill this. Second, it is hard to see why the publishing industry would go the way of the music and film industries. Currently it is easy to download music and movies for free, which is now substantially reducing profits for those industries. There is no incentive for the publishing industry to move its intellectual property to a format that can be easily duplicated. Everyone in those industries keeps believing that they can create some sort of encryption system that will safeguard intellectual property but so far code breakers have proven to be much more clever than cryptographers. Third, libraries are full of these amazing things called "librarians." For folks who haven't heard of them, they are people who know where things are. No more spending hours searching on-line searching to no avail because these folks know. In fact, they can probably find what you are looking for in about ten minutes. And these amazing people know both on-line resources and off-line resources. Google will never replace them. And all these "librarians" need to be located somewhere accessible to us citizens. That is part of what libraries are for. Fourth, books are portable. A laptop isn't going to replace a paperback. Ever. I do have books on my Palm but it isn't the same as a book. And I may be able to print a book at home on my printer, but would I want to haul it around like that? I hope that tonight, as Ms. Heller curls up in bed tonight with her laptop, that she doesn't fall asleep and end up with key marks on her forehead. Also, I would challenge Ms. Heller's comment about heavy payrolls. Libraries are not heavily staffed. There is a head librarian for each branch library and then staffing beyond that is simply driven by the number of hours that the building is open and the number of people that come in the door. And I will also say, having seen the pay levels, no one is exactly getting rich working at the library. Carol Becker Longfellow REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
