From: yoshi@nocusuhs.nnmc.navy.mil (D M Yoshikami)
Newsgroups: misc.writing
Subject: Libraries (was Re: support for the arts in the US)
Date: 16 Dec 92 13:31:39 GMT
Organization: National Naval Medical Center

In article <1992Dec15.175442.423@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> johnh@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (John J Humpal) writes:
>	My goodness.  Who ever said that libraries were only for the poor?
>Do you believe that libraries are mere book repositories?  Perhaps you
>ought to visit one.  Speak to a reference librarian.  You'll find that the
>modern library does far more than simply lend books; it is an information
>resource.  This may come as a surprise to you, but many people don't
>maintain large, private book collections; many do not have any access to
>the specialized information that a librarian can provide.  Public libraries
>provide these services, and many others, to all of us.

This brings up an interesting point.  Libraries are a tremendous
resource, when used properly, is a terrific tool not only for
research, but also for commerce, business, and war.  For instance,
many people do not know that the Thomas Register exists [The
Manufacturer's yellow pages], but if you needed to get in touch with a
manufacturer of Vacuum Tubes or needed a bunch of custom motors built,
that's the set of books you'd look in -- and the Librarian would know
to point you to that big buncha green books.  The Library of Congress
(which seems to get a lot of budget cuts, unfortunately, to "balance" the
budget) anyone can use (I think you gotta be 18 years old) had some
information such as a study that shrimp make noise when they swim -- which
the U.S. Military used to their advantage -- using this noise they sneaked
into Tokyo Harbour during WWII and fired off some torpedoes and left
without being detected (and we know how noisy those ole subs were); not to
mention an ole study on the Rainfall measurement of South-east Asia which came
in handy during the Vietnam war.

When I was in grad school, they had a Bibliography course that
everyone had to take.  The professors noticed that most new grad
students did not know how to use the library, so they created a course
that made sure that we did a lot of stack stomping to learn where the
important journals were, where the journal indices were, who the
librarians were [and with several warnings not to piss off the
Reference Librarian], where the Dissertation Abstracts were, how to
use Inter-library Loan, and a lot of "how do I find and who do I ask"
kind of information and exercises.  By the end, one would know where a
lot of stuff was, not to mention having a mess of LC Call numbers
memorized.  In other words, learn early some skills you needed to write a
dissertation, but shorten your learning time (so you don't have to learn
to use a library while you're sweating as you write your dissertation).
In this information age, you've got to know where to find information, and
the Library is one of the greatest tools to find such information -- which
may not necessarily be in a book!  

The upshot of this course makes me wonder, how many people do not know what
resources the regular ole public library may have, and what knowledge the
Librarian may have hoarded -- which unless you know that it exists, you'll
never get it.  A writer who knows how to use a library well will have a
distinct advantage over one who does not.  

The unfortunate thing for the Montgomery County Public Libraries is due to
bugetary problems (The residents tend to blame Gov. Schaeffer for funneling
all the state's money into building new Baseball stadiums in Baltimore!!)
they run practically banker's hours (libraries should be open from 0830 to
0100 hours), have more pulp paperbacks than anything else, and are often
useless for serious work.  Politicians and other mental defectives just do
not take libraries seriously, nor do some parents who of late have been trying
to abuse the library as a "poor man's day care center" by dropping their kids
off in the morning and picking them up in the evening.   The Public Libraries
here have been relegated to being more of an Agora or Forum where people get
together and fool around rather than being an important information resource.
This only makes matters worse, as it gives people the wrong idea.......

DY :-)

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