[9962] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Introduction
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jeffrey Sterling)
Mon Jan 31 00:54:17 1994
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 1994 21:37:07 -0800 (PST)
From: Jeffrey Sterling <jeffgs@netcom.com>
To: "Mike Charton, Parsippany Public Library" <CHARTON@main.morris.org>
Cc: COM-PRIV@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <940130140054.17233@main.morris.org>
On Sun, 30 Jan 1994, Mike Charton, Parsippany Public Library wrote:
> If you have any questions about the future of libraries and hi-tech I will
> answer them or get answers for you.
What future?
My impression of the library strategy at least from the Seattle Library
system is that they want to be "the gateway to the world" and "knowledge
navigators."
This concerns me since thru the Internet I ought to be able to get to any
library and it would be more appropriate for each library to handle a
more parochial domain such as the "gateway to Parsippany."
Also anytime I've heard a library mention "high tech" it is usually
followed by "fee for service."
Which gets us to the issue of "free nets." From my limited experience
with free nets they are typically a front for a library bbs that provides
a constricted gateway to the Internet.
I can understand that libraries may be threatened by the profileration of
the Internet since they are no longer needed as gatekeepers, however I
wish librarians would pursue a more limited objective of organizing
information pertaining to their geographical domain plus a list of sites
to find other information.
Jeffrey Sterling
jeffgs@netcom.com
