[743] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Librarians and the Internet
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (JUDITH HOPKINS AT SUNY BUFFALO)
Wed Jul 15 18:30:27 1992
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1992 17:20:22 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
From: "JUDITH HOPKINS AT SUNY BUFFALO" <ULCJH%UBVMS.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Jennifer Heise referred to the difference in cost for attending ALA
meetings and ASIS meetings as a reason that the attendees at ASIS are
more knowledgeable and less fearful about computers and networking
than ALA attendees. I'm not sure that increased prosperity equates
to more knowledgeability.
There is however the self-selection factor. ALA members run the gamut
of academic, public, school, and some special librarians, public services
and technical services and computer specialists (not mutually exclusive
classes), those with access to the nets and those without. The natural
result is a wide range of knowledge and interest and an overall lower
average amount of knowledge than is found in ASIS.
ASIS members, on the other hand, while they MAY be drawn from the same types
of libraries, tend to be those in the libraries that have a special interest
in computer-related matters. Instead of all or half the librarians (or
whatever is the appropriate figure) in a library belonging to an organization
(as is true for ALA), only a handful will belong to ASIS. In many cases
these people will also belong to ALA so that membership in ASIS will be
supplementary to ALA membership. This requires both commitment and prosperity!
The natural result is an overall higher average amount of knowledge about
computers and networking than is found at ALA conferences.
I speak as a life member of ALA and a former member of ASIS.
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