[1511] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Chained Books
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Mon Oct 19 16:19:53 1992
Date: Mon, 19 Oct 1992 15:13:49 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
3 Messages 83 Lines
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From: jahb@Lehigh.EDU (JENNIFER A. HEISE)
Subject: Re: Chained Books
I know I'm just an idealistic pessimist-- but the cyberpunk world of the
information rich and the information poor and the information thief-ghettos
becomes more and more plausible every time someone talks about electronic
access to text. Consider the California public school libraries-- or their
lack. Consider the public jr high school where students in high level classes
are supposed to word-process their papers-- even though the wp lab is not open
after school. (Translation: all of you who are bright come from well-to-do
families and have computers at home. Even though this is a center-city
district.)
Nobody wants to pay for information, but all information producers want to
charge all the traffic will bear. Suppose you have the Lorax in electronic
form. You must have a computer with color monitor to run it; and it will cost
a pretty penny. If it is electronically copyable to your media, be sure the
PUBLISHING COMMUNITY won't let libraries distribute it (after all, why not
just sell it from kiosks on a time-share basis), and if it isn't, it will look
like a nintendo cartridge and be just like a book for all intents and
purposes, besides the fact that you need expensive equipment to run it.
Face it, if the electronic revolution gets off the ground, the Carnegie ideal
of free access to info for everybody will be smashed deader than a doornail by
the Publishing industry under capitalism.
Jennifer Heise Net: jahb@lehigh.edu
Reference Dept., Phone: (215) 758-3072
Fairchild-Martindale Libraries #8A, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015
My opinions are my own. No one else would HAVE them anyway.
"What I need is a strong drink and a peer group." -- Ford Prefect
*----
Subject: Re: Chained Books
From: Terry Dawson <terry@edsi.plexus.COM>
You wrote:
> We have a job to do, we have users to serve, and we are still in
> the best position to decide how to do it.
Your whole statement was well said, and I think you speak for many of us
who are somewhat put off by rhetorical extremes. We have some exciting
new tools, but the challenge is to apply them to real world problems.
In a public library we need to worry about just those things you stated:
those who will never have net access, the children and the homeless.
We as a profession have a tremendous challenge; we are cursed with
interesting times. :-)
*-----
From: Dan Lester <ALILESTE@IDBSU>
Subject: RE: Chained Books
On Thu, 15 Oct 1992 16:27:26 CDT <RHADDEN@USGSRESV> said:
>One problem is that the people who plan for computer uses in libraries aren't
>real library workers, and don't follow through. A good example is that
>when an ILL comes in on OCLC, the OCLC system can't/won't find the local
>call number. Thus, all requests have to be a manually searched and located.
I believe that you will find that in this case it is "can't", rather
than "won't". OCLC folks are well aware of the situation, but the system
was designed LONG before anyone had any real plans to do ILL on it, and
thus the local call numbers are not maintained in an accessible manner
to the ILL system. When the original system was designed in the late
1960s, there were limitations on processing and storage that are almost
laughable to those who weren't there at the time, so such limitations as
not keeping the local call numbers readily accessible online were
necessary. Of course these days it might be possible to provide processing
and storage to do that, but the conversion is certainly non-trivial in
many respects.
>Something so simple seems to have been overlooked, since the people who
>planned the system has never had to look up call numbers.
Well, I think a number of them HAVE had to do so, and certainly understand
the problem, but it is not one that is easily or quickly soluble.
dan
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* Dan Lester Bitnet: alileste@idbsu *
* Associate University Librarian Internet: alileste@idbsu.idbsu.edu *
* Boise State University *
* Boise, Idaho 83725 BSU and I have a deal: I don't speak *
* 208-385-1234 for them and they don't speak for me. *
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