11 September 2006 Readings
Libraries by C. Pawley:
I found the idea of using digital format as a solution to the space and conservation problems faced by libraries particularly interesting. The issue of technological obsolescence is a good one, but what also made me think about this topic is the issue of people who need the actual item in order to fulfill their research (e.g., they study Medieval illumination techniques and really need to see that 13th century Bible "in the flesh"). If we get too gung-ho on the whole digitization of documents, we will be dropping a service that is typically provided for those who most likely can't go somewhere else to meet their needs.
Libraries: Digital, Electronic and Hybrid by D. D. Rusch-Feja:
I like the idea of digital libraries. I like even more the point that a library is most likely not going to be completely online, but partially online while maintaining a physical collection as well. Thus, the point that librarians need to keep up on technology in order to meet the needs of the new type of libraries technology is making available. Thus, continuous training becomes necessary. Who pays for this? Employers? Or does the librarian have to pay for it himself/herself?
Tunnel Vision and Blind Spots: What the Past Tells Us About the Present; Reflections on the Twentieth-Century History of American Librarianship by Wayne A Wiegand:
(Personal comment: this was my favorite article out of the four we read.) I was very surprised that there is a lack of library history, especially considering that so much of the work done in libraries is to maintain items from the past. I guess we don't like to look at ourselves! I think Wiegand pointed this out when he started discussing the past -- with libraries focused on "improving" the reading population by selecting only certain items, for example. We have to get over the more unsavory aspects of our field and learn from them if we don't want to repeat the same mistakes. The current issue with access to pornographic materials on library computers strikes me as the same problem in a different time.
Information Science by Tefko Saracevic:
I found it interesting that there are information scientists who ignore the user. This just baffles me; what use is the information if it's not being used by someone? And what good does it do you if you can technically get information, but it's in a format that doesn't make sense and makes the information basically inaccessible? This puzzles me greatly.
Libraries by C. Pawley:
I found the idea of using digital format as a solution to the space and conservation problems faced by libraries particularly interesting. The issue of technological obsolescence is a good one, but what also made me think about this topic is the issue of people who need the actual item in order to fulfill their research (e.g., they study Medieval illumination techniques and really need to see that 13th century Bible "in the flesh"). If we get too gung-ho on the whole digitization of documents, we will be dropping a service that is typically provided for those who most likely can't go somewhere else to meet their needs.
Libraries: Digital, Electronic and Hybrid by D. D. Rusch-Feja:
I like the idea of digital libraries. I like even more the point that a library is most likely not going to be completely online, but partially online while maintaining a physical collection as well. Thus, the point that librarians need to keep up on technology in order to meet the needs of the new type of libraries technology is making available. Thus, continuous training becomes necessary. Who pays for this? Employers? Or does the librarian have to pay for it himself/herself?
Tunnel Vision and Blind Spots: What the Past Tells Us About the Present; Reflections on the Twentieth-Century History of American Librarianship by Wayne A Wiegand:
(Personal comment: this was my favorite article out of the four we read.) I was very surprised that there is a lack of library history, especially considering that so much of the work done in libraries is to maintain items from the past. I guess we don't like to look at ourselves! I think Wiegand pointed this out when he started discussing the past -- with libraries focused on "improving" the reading population by selecting only certain items, for example. We have to get over the more unsavory aspects of our field and learn from them if we don't want to repeat the same mistakes. The current issue with access to pornographic materials on library computers strikes me as the same problem in a different time.
Information Science by Tefko Saracevic:
I found it interesting that there are information scientists who ignore the user. This just baffles me; what use is the information if it's not being used by someone? And what good does it do you if you can technically get information, but it's in a format that doesn't make sense and makes the information basically inaccessible? This puzzles me greatly.
posted by Julia Faith | 9:45 AM
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