From: cjt1@ellis.uchicago.edu (Charles Ten Brink)
Subject: Re: Library bashing??
Followup-To: soc.libraries.talk
Reply-To: cjt1@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 16:29:59 GMT

In article <1992Dec22.213853.11280@compu.com> fr@compu.com (Fred Rump from home) writes:
>fdavison@SFSUVAX1.SFSU.EDU (Frieda Davison) writes:
>
>>Well, thought I would get into this fray since SEVERAL of the messages on
>>the net this morning were bashing libraries.  Instead of off the hand
>>bashing, how about asking some of us librarians online why things are the
>>way they are and if and how they could be changed. 
>
>Frieda, I think you may feel unduly attacked somehow. I think you must admit 
>that there are libraries and there are libraries. It all depends upon people.

Ms. Davison's feelings may have been "undue" before, but you have gone
a long way towards justifying them with the following ramble (much of which
I have deleted.)  I have neither the time nor the inclination to set you
or the other library bashers straight on some of the more bizarre ideas
you have about libraries, for the simple reason that I see no duty to
educate someone from the ground up about the varying missions of libraries,
the complexities of bibliographic control, and our duty to the public (which
you and others seem to quaintly define as "letting me have what I want
regardless of its potential impact on others.")

The original post was a sterling example of this: "Please let me take a
valuable and irreplaceable glass-plate negative out of the library so that 
I can experiment with it."  I get requests every day from people who want
to photocopy rare books.  Of *course* they will be careful, and there may
be a 95% probability that the book will be fine.  What do you suggest I 
do about that 5% on the down side?  Just say the hell with it?
I think the historical society person (surely not a librarian) who let
the negative go was a fool.

>>Regarding the "comments" about increases -- yes, for libraries, journals
>>increase their price anywhere from 8 to 25% EACH YEAR. And NO, libraries
>>do NOT get a break on pricing.  In fact, we pay more.  Publishers have
>>a policy called "tiered pricing".
>
>This is something new to me. Are you letting the publishers get away with 
>anything they ask for? Perhaps if the libraries got together and said 'we will 
>no longer buy your stuff under condition x' they would get the message. 
>
That this is new to you is a good example of your utter cluelessness. 
Virtually every magazine you read includes a statement of the cost of
a subscription, and the "Library Rate", which is always higher.  As for
getting all the libraries together, can you say "antitrust violation"?

>>What can you do about it?
>>* Stop bashing and ask your local librarian (public, academic, etc.) how you
>>can help.
>
>Bashing is your term. I think we are mainly stating facts which may not sound 
>sweet to a librarian's ears. Teacher's react similarly when speaking of the 
>dismal results they produce. It's always more money that will solve the 
>problem.

Your honor, please make the poster respond to the question, and quit 
characterizing his aimless whining as "stating facts."

I have set followups to this to soc.libraries.talk, where it belongs.
I now return you to your regularly polite newsgroup.
--Chuck Ten Brink



-- 
D'Angelo Law Library         "The dogmas of the quiet past are
cjt1@midway.uchicago.edu      inadequate to the stormy present. . .
uclcjt1@uchimvs1              We must disenthrall ourselves. . ."