[10640] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: [ENODE] Why Librarians Should Rule the Net
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Peter Graham, RUL)
Fri Sep 20 21:03:03 1996
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 18:24:29 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Peter Graham, RUL" <psgraham@rci.rutgers.edu>
In-Reply-To: Your message of Thu, 19 Sep 1996 16:34:46 -0500 (CDT)
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Reply-To: "Peter Graham, RUL" <psgraham@rci.rutgers.edu>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
From: Peter Graham, Rutgers University Libraries
This debate needs to be cooled down, because in fact both sides have good
points and we need both sides, and it does no good to have us attack each
other. Mr Schneiderman, you implicitly recognize that the "programmers"
are contributing and able to add value to what we do; your concern is in how
they direct their energies. Mr Yohn, you're more able than most computer
people to recognize the contributions of librarians, but you don't seem to
see the link between creation and need beyond self-interest.
There really are two different kinds of communities out there (out here)
working together in many universities and other environments, often without
recognizing it. The computing community has an extraordinarily valuable
action orientation, which the library community needs to take note of and
adopt much more than it does. (Yohn is right that librarians don't have much
money available, and that's a bigger barrier than even he might recognize.
Still, initiatives can be taken.) Too often librarians worry about the
perfectness of the final product rather than trying things--I have in mind
service offerings here, not major infrastructure issues like
cataloging. The library community needs a stronger action
orientation, like, get it done over the weekend.
The library community has an extraordinarily deep natural understanding of
the complexity of service processes, especially those that aim to serve
large communities over time periods longer than our personal and institutional
lives (a position different from most corporate interests). As a result the
mechanisms for planning and consultation are well-managed, are national and
international in scope, are thoughtful and are thorough. Librarians *use*
standards, not just make weapons out of them. The computing community
needs to take advantage of these skills if it is not to waste much of
its (and users') time.
All of us who feel on Mr S's or Mr Y's side in this debate need to take a
deep breath and realize we need both sides. There *are* sides--it's
important not to gloss over that--but the values to our jointly served
communities will only be enhanced if we recognize and use both sides. --pg
Peter Graham Rutgers University Libraries
169 College Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08903 (908)445-5908; fax (908)445-5888
psgraham@rci.rutgers.edu <URL:http://aultnis.rutgers.edu/pghome.html>
