[425] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Internet and Public Libraries
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (DEBBIE LORDS)
Fri Jun 5 10:38:28 1992
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 1992 09:35:23 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
From: DEBBIE LORDS <DLORDS@ALEXANDRIA.LIB.UTAH.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I would like to respond to Kathleen Burnett's criticism of Brewster Kahle's
vision of mall-based reading rooms in his plenary address at the recent ASIS
mid-year meeting. Kahle's first comment was that he is a technologist with
only a smattering of librarian. From his statement of the mall-based reading
rooms, he insisted that he might be off-base. The most important
consideration is that the mall-based reading rooms were quickie locations for
rapid access. His comparison to banks' ATMs is important. One does not
expect a collateral-based loan approval from an ATM, nor would one want
research service at a quickie information bank. The reading rooms should
whet appetites for what else is possible. If the reading rooms as envsioned
by Kahle are an anathema to librarians and still become the reality, it is
not because that was suggested by a technologist, but because it was deferred
by librarians for others to determine. We determine our own future by our
own actions or by the lack of it. In electronic environments, too much is
determined by our lack of action.
Debra Lords Internet: dlords@alexandria.lib.utah.edu
Cat.Div., Marriott Library Bitnet: dlords@utahlib.bitnet
Univ. of Utah
SLC, Utah 84112
