Readings for 6 November 2006

"Long Overdue: A Fresh Look at Public and Leadership Attitudes about Libraries in the 21st Century"

I found a lot of what was brought up in the survey results interesting, but not surprising. Most of our readings for both this class and another class I'm in talk about these topics. The one that I did find a bit new and surprising was that city leaders were critical of librarians. We are seen as idealistic, quiet, withdrawing, and impractical. These are images that we have to fight to get rid of, because they hurt us greatly. People who give us money have to feel that they are giving the money to someone who is responsible; although the public feels that we do a good job with the money we are given, the government officials feel like we need to be at a higher level of accounting for the funds given. Thus, a business head doesn't hurt. I have to agree with this. I would be reticent to give money to someone who didn't appear to have his head focused on the bottom line. Business training can't hurt librarians (and it could make us much more valuable, meaning higher salaries). Knowing how to market your place of employment is always good, especially when funding for your job and essential resources to perform your job well is in perpetual jeopardy.

"The Differences Between Real and Virtual Libraries" by Thomas Mann

I agree with a lot of what was said in this article. People who are intent on thinking that the digital will replace the print are mistaken; it will, rather, compliment it. Having done digitization work, I have to say that it's imperfect. A lot of the time the margins are small or the book was imperfectly bound, and that's a serious problem for creating an online PDF. But it doesn't cause problems for those who are reading the item. So, yeah, we have to keep our print copies! They don't necessarily have to be on-site (which creates another geographic limit), but we need to keep them. Some researchers are even interested in the physical creation and the metatext of an item, and a lot of the time that stuff is not or cannot be digitized. The argument could be made that the discarding of such documents is tantamount to destroying unique creations.

Chapter Four -- "The Power of It"

This was a very thought-provoking chapter. The part that I found most salient to librarians was the part where the one mother found herself in the library of her children's school. Looking at what was available on African-Americans, she found the offerings a bit skimpy. I love that she contacted the librarian and worked with her to find and purchase books that were a considerable improvement over what was previously available to the students. What I took home from this was to be humble, to be open. I have to be secure enough in my position that I can accept that I don't know everything about everything. Patrons have much that they can teach me, and I just have to be willing to listen. Of course, I also have to have a critical eye to what they tell me, and to find validation through other sources, but it's entirely possible that beneficial change can be intiated by patrons -- the library is there for them, after all!

Chapter Five -- "The Sacred and the Profane"

One of my other classes spends a lot of time talking about this difference between reading and writing. One of our recent readings talks about how they were historically very different skills. Girls were just as likely as boys to be readers in the early days of America, but were not likely to have been taught how to write, because it was seen as a technical or vocational skill, and that sewing was the feminine counterpart to the masculine skill of writing. I think that Brandt makes a good attempt to show that these attitudes toward the two skills have been perpetuated. Writing is connected to your income. I find that fascinating, and think that so many programs could be started to target people with poor writing skills to help them. It would, perhaps, behoove them more than a reading program would -- partly because the reading has to come along with the writing. The only problem is that few people, I think, would be interested in enrolling in such classes and programs precisely because writing is seen as punitive and boring in comparison to reading. Perhaps we need to revamp writing's image.

Chapter Six -- "The Means of Production"

Brandt here is defining literacy in a very broad way. Is knowing another language, especially a computer language, another form of literacy? I don't know that it is; I think the skills of reading and writing can definitely apply to foreign languages, but I don't think they're new skills. It's a form of taking what's already known and applying it in a new context. I did think it was interesting that Brandt found two people whose applications of skill were rewarded in two very different ways -- and I would venture would be treated differently now than they were in the past. Lopez's skill would definitely be seen as more of a plus, and would probably be cultivated now, whereas Branch would have had formal classes in computer languages in high school. It's interesting to note how fast things can change in such a short amount of time.

Reading for 30 October 2006

Literacy in American Lives by Deborah Brandt

Introduction -- The Pursuit of Literacy

I'm really excited about this study. I think it's awesome that someone has recognized that writing is a huge (and hugely overlooked) part of the literacy lexicon. My only fear is that, by concentrating on people in Wisconsin, that Brandt is going to get a more homogenous sample than she realizes. I know there's not a lot she can do with the money and time restraints. I wish, though, that she had not put American in the title, and had rather put Midwestern, or something. It just seems like it's overreaching to conclude from these eighty people that you have a complete picture of what is and was going on when people are and were learning to write in America. Wisconsin is great, but a mini-model of the United States it is not!

Chapter One -- Literacy, Opportunity and Economic Change

I was surprised that neither of the two women who grew up in a rural location even mentioned the library when they talked about their literacy. Obviously, Barbara Hunt would have used the library for research on her forensics topics. This got me to thinking, are rural locations always underserved? Has this changed at all in the past century or so? And what types of literacy-building activities can the library provide? I thought of some:

• providing writing workshops, for help writing letters, papers, and the like;
• reading lists and bibliographies for learning to read;
• providing tutors or assistants to work with those who wish to be better readers or writers;
  
• running classes/workshops for writers;
• running classes/workshops for readers; and
• running book clubs.

I don't know how feasible all of these are, but I think they might be good options to pull people in to a library and to get them comfortable with the printed word. I especially like the idea of a book club for adults who have a low functionality to their literacy; my imaginings make it a group where, if you haven't finished the book, that's fine. Your fellow readers (and the facilitator) are there to encourage and help you through it. My guess is that I'm probably insane for thinking that this will work, but I like the idea.

Chapter Two -- Literacy and Illiteracy in Documentary America

I really enjoy this style of writing. I like the fact that Brandt has taken two people who grew up around the same time and shown how their experiences with literacy have been different, for sure, but also similar. No matter who you are, there are people who are intensely interested in whether you can read and write or not, and what you're doing with those skills if you have them. I think Brandt is right when she points out that it was in the best interests of corporate America that they get labor disputes legalized, because they then have the edge over the unions. Legal terminology and procedures are very difficult and very specialized, and it does isolate people from being able to participate in their own affairs. Which transitions well into the second fellow, who also had to learn to converse in that specialized tongue called "the law". It's amazing that the skill that started the downfall of the unions is the very same skill that can be the savior of a convicted person! But again, it's this whole situation where the person has to go and make the effort to have special training, and it's limited training -- not just anyone could take part in that schooling. Plus, not everyone knows how to use a library. Prison librarians must have to really take a lot of inmates in hand and help them through the process the first few times. I think that's what this chapter showed me; I want to be an advocate and a helper for the patron, because they aren't necessarily getting that advocacy and assistance elsewhere.

Chapter Three -- Accumulating Literacy

The G.I. Bill . . . I found it interesting that Sam, after World War II, pursued and almost attained a bachelor's degree, while his son Jack only attempted a more technical program. I wonder about the dynamics that brought that about. I also found it sad that the "path of least resistance" in Jack's high school is not more challenging. Minority students are the majority of the enrollment in these programs, even when total numbers are going down. I wonder if we're saying, "These programs aren't good enough for preparing you for college. But we don't really anticipate that minorities are going to be attending college, so it's okay if we keep these programs around so that we have a place to stuff them so they don't get in the way of the 'real' students." I really wonder if there's enough emphasis on pushing minority students to better their literacy skills so that they can go on and get good jobs; if they're coming from an underprivileged background, they need the extra push more than those who don't.

Readings for 23 October 2006

"Introduction" by Redmond Kathleen Molz and Phyllis Dain

I found it interesting that Carnegie founded all these libraries with a view of improving American thinking. This is not so far from what the goal of libraries is, too -- just without (or supposedly without) the racial undertones of social Darwinism. Sure, the stated goals are to provide information goods and information services to the public. But why do that if not to improve someone's understanding, and thus thinking, on a topic? Carnegie's impact can still be felt today, I think -- even in the attitude expressed by Wolz and Dain later on, when they state that, in the 1990s, "traditional Eurocentric culture and traditional print culture were becoming endangered species." well, do Europeans and traditional print culture have a monopoly on aiding sometone to think better about a topic? I don't see why that should be assumed, and thus don't see the big problem.

"The Mission: Consensus and Contradiction" by Redmond Kathleen Molz and Phyllis Dain

The McLibrary! I must say that I love Baltimore's attitude. The librarian who said that the library should be a place of leisure and education is perhaps conflating his wants for his workplace with what the patrons deserve. Yes, the library should be leisurable and educational -- for the patron. Who says that bookstores aren't these things for the customers? Yet the workers operate it as a business. I think that librarian just objected to the nature of his work changing, and also liked the idea of working someplace he considered better than a common business. And that's not truly serving the patrons' needs, that's feeding your own.

"Human Values in a Technological Age" by Michael Gorman

It was very interesting to read about how technology has come into play throughout the creation of the library. I think Gorman's point about the technology being a tool is a salient one. Librarians of the nineteenth century weren't worried about whether typed card catalogs were going to cause a break-down of the library as we know it. It was, rather, all about whether it was going to work and help in the maintenance and management of the library. We need to view the current technology in the same way; it's not a huge philosophical issue a lot of the time. It's whether it aids us in our mission in getting information to the patrons, and whether it does it better than the current methods.

"Discourse and Censorship: Librarians and the Ideology of Freedom" by Steven R. Harris

Wow, that last statement! I think Harris is right; we aren't bastions of freedom and democracy. But is it good enough that we try? I think so. We attempt to provide free access to everyone and try to stock a wide variety of materials. To a certain extent, our hands are tied by the larger culture -- look at the issue of pornography. Even if librarians are willing to stock Penthouse and let patrons use computers for viewing porn websites, the public, for the most part, doesn't like it. We can fight for it, but is that our job, or the ACLU's? I think it might be best to build relationships with other groups who can fight some of these fights with us, so that we don't have to carry the entire burden. After all, these freedoms and rights are not just ours, they're everyone's. Shouldn't we attempt to connect to these people and help them stand up for their own rights, too?

"Why Thomas Jefferson Would Love Napster" by Siva Vaidhyanathan

I absolutely love that there is a historical base for serious debate on copyright. I feel strongly that copyright should be as patents are: a limited amount of time (like 5-10 years) during which the author can benefit. Any more seems to be anathema to the goal of it being an incentive to create -- once you've created, you can sit back and have the money come in. That's what investment's for, not copyright! People have the right to access work done. The current laws are serious barriers to that access.

Readings for 16 October 2006

"Librarians" -- U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Statistics

I found it surprising that the article suggested that fewer librarians would be needed because of online reference availability. Evidently the writer doesn't realize that experienced librarians will be able to answer questions more fully and give better resources than the computer. And they'll know whether the computer is the right tool for the job; Google doesn't usually provide one with an answer like that (unless it's steered you to a librarian's website). The usefulness of physical books is immense. Plus, the Internet is daunting, and a librarian is more likely to be able to point to salient websites, too. Automated services don't allow for easy customization.

"The Ugly Side of Librarianship" -- Klaus Mussman

I'm astonished that Yust did not propose education inside the library. Harris obviously saw that this was a vital part of an African-American library. In order to have patrons, she focused on the kids. The kids would continue to visit as adults, be better-influenced citizens, and bring their own children. It's a matter of betterment that librarians should be mindful of. So, when there were libraries with doors open to African-Americans, it was essential that they provide educational programs, and their failure to do so shows, perhaps, the changing idea of what a librarian is supposed to do.

"Information Technology and the De-Skilling of Librarians" -- Roma Harris

I don't know. I feel like some of the things like cataloging are more housekeeping in scope. They are perhaps best done by a paraprofessional. There should always be a librarian overseeing the paraprofessional, but I think it is perhaps a waste of precious resources to have a librarian focused solely on cataloging when the work can be done by someone who costs less. I know, I'm talking myself and other librarians out of jobs. And perhaps catalogers can be justified by large libraries (universities, L of C -- of course!, NYPL). But if the position can be shared by a paraprofessional for the majority of the work and a librarian for the more delicate tasks, this is a good way to not only save money, but to help foster a sense of community with a librarian and her subordinates. Perhaps this is shocking thinking, but I think a librarian should be a Jill-of-all-trades, to a certain extent, and thus can be useful to more people -- both staff and patrons.

"Librarians and party girls: Cultural studies and the meaning of the librarian" -- Marie L. Radford and Gary P. Radford

I thought that this was a delightful article. The last couple of pages were the most beneficial; they gave the meat of the solutions offered, and that's what really counts. It doesn't help to rehash what the stereotypes of a librarian are if we aren't given tools to help counteract them. I found it funny, though, that it was suggested that these counter-stereotypical images should be disseminated in professional library journals. How many people in the general population read professional library journals? How many know that such things even exist? I think we're gonna have to get more proactive on this than simply pointing out to our coworkers that we aren't all frumpy middle-aged women with hair buns and chains on our glasses. We already know that. The real issue is what we can do to present our varied selves to the greater world, and that involves real outreach.

Chapter Ten

It's a valid point that the Internet and technology may be producing claims that it can market but not really feed. I think it's a bit of a stretch, however, to say that we are all fundamentally manipulated into thinking that technology is the be-all end-all. I don't think that we'd have the backlash like we do if that were the case. People are more diverse in their critical thinking skills and worries for us all to be affected to the same (extreme) extent that Levy is positing.

I also think that, even though I love my Jane Austen novels dearly, I don't treat them with the reverence I would a religious object (if I were religious). Documents do not hold that same sway, for the most part; I think, because they are so abundant, they are also more temporary and disposable. Books and papers were more respected in the nineteenth century than they are now, and fewer people were even functionally literate. The reading culture has become the common culture, I think, and there is no more divide between the two. And the common culture is not, for the most part, particularly revered. Thus, I think that the same thing will happen with the new tech, and it will quickly (because the pace is quicker) dissolve and become part of the popular culture, rather than its "exalted" status as the technology culture grants it now.

Chapter Six

Oh, the technophile/bibliophile "dichotomy." While Levy doesn't draw this out too much, I think it has to be said that there are very few people who think that one is always preferable over the other. Most people, I would hope, are rational enough to realize that there are some good uses for both. And I think this is where this argument really needs to head. Much like the ever-touted "nature/nurture" debate over traits in biology -- where the overwhelming majority of biologists now say it's the interaction of both -- this debate is a false dichotomy. To those who opine for the cuddly reading object in bed, then the book or magazine is the perfect choice, and should be left alone. For those who need an article for a paper NOW!!! before class, obviously the immediacy of a PDF file is more beneficial than having to wander into the stacks. This is a situation where I sit firmly on the fence, and I will remain there until it's torn down.

Chapter Seven

I got a kick out of this chapter. Melvil Dewey was quite the character, and it seems like he wanted to control absolutely everything he could. I wonder how much of this overall idea of anxiety is reflected in the creation of documents, as well -- this panic over not being able to speak after you die could very well have started the whole documentation procedure for businesses and governments that went along with the Industrial Revolution. Hell, I think writing itself is a reaction to that. Having a system, however imperfect, seems to ease this worry that people feel about their lives. Dewey was a genius to tap his own worries to give us a tool to organize documents, no matter how imperfect it may be (really, African literature with Chinese literature?). There's a lot to be said in praise of anxiety as a creative force.

Chapter Eight

I definitely dig the idea of the impermanence, the ephemeral nature, of digital documents. I think it's a real worry to a lot of people that, if we digitize everything and don't have paper copies, too, we may lose a lot of research, information, and creative works because the media used for storage are not the most reliable. I think that as people become more familiar with digital media and the concepts behind their use (and there's a big debate in my mind, at least, as to whether this will ever actually happen), they will see that it can't ever be an issue as to whether we're going to lose everything. It's a matter of being willing to keep multiple "tokens" of a "type." We're gonna have paper still, but we're also going to have HTML copies, and PDF copies, and they're going to be stored on hard drives, and flash drives, and disks, and tape, and whatever, ad infinitum, because of stability, yes, but also because the user drives this whole thing. Some people really like microfiche, for some reason, so there are still places that'll put stuff on microfiche for your viewing pleasure. It's a matter of being willing to accept the new and keep the old -- as long as they're both essentially good ideas.

Chapter Three

Image loss is probably one of the biggest problems I personally have with electronic versions of books. I hate to read an article online and then find out that there were great graphics that went along with it originally! For example, I specialized in cartography (among other GIS subjects) for my geography degree. Color and design are a big part of mapmaking, and it was frustrating to read articles by people that were not accompanied by color copies of the diagrams. It would have been great to be able to look at the blues and the reds being discussed; I did, however, get a good idea of the color-blind suitability of many schemes!

Chapter Four

I found it interesting that Levy thinks that the idea of documents helping and hurting at the same time is a new (?) one. I think most people have a good grasp of the concept of "red tape," but also understand that it's beneficial and necessary to run the current bureaucratic world with lots of forms, memos, and documents. It allows for efficiency unheard-of two hundred years ago!

The idea that I thought was new was that of documents and policies co-evolving. I had always thought of policies shaping the documents, but I now can see how a particularly important document (not necessarily in content, but in shape, size, method of delivery, etc.) can also shape the way business is done and the way the office is designed (which is no small thing for the people who have to work there).

Chapter Five

I liked the idea of the greeting and postal card acceptance into society as a parallel to email. I definitely see the similarities between email and the postcard. Whether acceptance will be as universal for the email remains to be seen, I think; email requires actual new hardware, new equipment, whereas the postcard could go right in the same slot. Plus, even the postcard takes time and is personal in ways (handwriting, selection, addressing, delivery) that no email can be. They are saveable as souvenirs. Some thought should maybe go into making an email as approachable, as personal, as a postcard or greeting card at least, if it can never hope to reach the upper eschelons of singular belonging as a full-out letter can.

Reading for 9 October 2006

Scrolling Forward by David M. Levy

Preface

I think it’s fascinating that Levy has an interest in both the future and the past of printed materials. This will hopefully result in revelations that are uncommon and new. It’s rare to find a “techie” who is also enamored of the ways of the past (unless it has to do specifically with his field).

Chapter One

Levy’s approach of analysis – of looking at a printed piece outside of the glamorous world of manuscripts – is a nice touch. There is definitely a hidden technique to reading receipts (and a lot of other texts) that no one really gets taught; they’re expected to pick these up on their own. He makes a good point about how documents change (for instance, the e-receipt is coming in), but he also states that they stay the same. There is a fundamental theory of the text – or text subtype – that they have to keep to in order to be useful. It behooves us to keep in mind that, although something is electronic or digital, it's still essentially the same message that the author is attempting to convey. Whether it is still successful is another matter entirely . . .

Chapter Two

Levy's discussion of the text as an item that is granted speech (by writing) is not far off from how the ancient Greeks saw it; they viewed even a reader reading aloud to have been taken over by the writer. I think this is where e-documents get in trouble -- the fixity (as Levy puts it) is thrown to the wind a lot of the time. If a caption is misplaced or there are misspellings, it's definitely not the same document as the author intended, and may even convey the opposite meaning as intended. Levy talks about this, and I think it's a valid point. However, I also think that a lot of the errors made are caught by readers or the author fairly quickly, and that it is a problem that can be overcome.