Re: Libraries and automation

John Lederer wrote:
>
> I suspect that libraries are in for a wrenching period of change. I
> think the underlying assumption in their structure is that most
> information comes in books, books are not usable by more than one
> person at a time, and books are awkward to transport.
>
> Librarians who view their job as providing organized access to
> information ought to do very well. Librarians who see their task as
> organizing and caring for books are likely to have a more troubled
> future. Younger librarians will have the Chinese curse of "living in
> interesting times".

        Library Schools have been teaching automated record keeping and literature searching as required subjects for 25 years. There is no profession better prepared for automated information access than librarianship. We stronly believe that free internet access and other forms of literature searching are a public good and a public right and we intend to keep on providing it. There is no other source for the disadvantaged in our society who need information to make theselves heard in a democracy. The only thing holding back libraries in this area is cost, not knowledge or will.

        The problem is not the library's move to technological sources but the restrictive copyright laws which keep us from providing what our patrons need at the time and in the form that they need it. While the purpose of copyright is to advance science, publishers who restrict electronic and other distribution of scientific papers for their own profit subvert the constitution's clearly stated goal.

        By the way, don't worry about the book too much. A lot of people still likke to curl up with a good one. Book sales are off the charts. Just like radio and movies didn't disapear after TV, the book and book orriented libraries will be around a long time.

                        Bert R. Boyce

Bert R. Boyce, Professor & Dean
School of Library & Infromation Science
Louisiana State University
267 Coates Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803

     (504)388-3158
FAX: (504)388-4581
LSBOYC[_at_]LSUVM.sncc.lsu.edu Received on Wed Oct 02 1996 - 13:41:12 GMT