And, libraries provide generally FREE MEETING ROOMS for community events. --David Shove Roseville
On Sat, 1 Nov 2003, Becker wrote: > 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 > 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
