Re: [ARSCLIST] Zits cartoon strip, or, a personal rambling rant

[George Brock-Nannestad <pattac@xxxxxxxx>]

From: Patent Tactics, George Brock-Nannestad

Marcos Suerio wrote (parts extracted)

 And
> while I applaud the idea of digitising materials and making them available on
> the web, it cannot be a library's primary function. Such a position I find
> between naive and arrogant, assuming that computers, or something that can
> read computer files, will be around forever. 

----- irrespective of this, the availability in digital form is presently 
used as an excuse for mass purging of paper content in libraries

 One thing we know for sure: Libraries have been around for hundreds and
> hundreds of years, they seem to work, and have changed the course of
> knowledge's history several times, by revealing previous knowledge that was
> not popular at the time, but that some inquisitive soul picked up 

----- nobody in power has really been happy with the masses' access to 
knowledge, and the moment money talks (i.e. the libraries need a lot of money 
for expensive inner-city premises, staff, and repairs of the materials), 
cheap fixes will be sought - and found. One fix is "oh, has nobody requested 
this for 25 years; well, then obviously nobody needs it".


> ..................................I love to see people of all creeds, 
> colours, and ages ................................ Engaging in one of the 
> most wonderful of human endeavours: the sharing of knowledge. For free.

----- you are right, we shall have a period of about 150 years of human 
enlightenment for the masses. There are about 20 left.
> 
> There is only so much digitising one can do. Only the "useful" stuff will be
> put up on the web. What you end up is with a generic MacLibrary of knowledge,
> Google or not.

----- nevertheless, there is so much stuff that you can only obtain by inter-
library loans, stuff that used to be quite widespread. I know, because I have 
given up and I buy the originals from the web, which is teeming with de-
accessioned materials, materials that were once available to the general 
public and which is now only available to me (and those who read what I 
write, based on this material).

I think the situation is desperate.


Kind regards,


George