Readings 10/23

The Mission: Consensus and Contradiction by Molz and Dain

A central theme that comes to light in this chapter is one that concerns values. It is the debate about “demand versus quality.” Should librarians select books based on the scholarly value of them or by how popular they are? Different strategies were used throughout the history of libraries. Dewey incisively noted that library materials were not useful if they sat dormant on the shelf. Nonetheless the Baltimore County library system keenly realized that the public, through tax dollars was paying for the library, and therefore it should have some say in the materials purchased. It is clear that to understand this question as well as other tough questions one needs to understand the values of libraries, and what their purpose is. There are values of maintaining an informed citizenry, and providing education so as to strengthen the country. Also at play are values of entertainment and leisure. And as Fletcher stated on page 12-13, the library should contain lower kinds of books so as to facilitate a graduation to better materials. A balance of both scholarly and entertaining materials should be found for the most effective libraries.

Human Values in a Technological Age by Michael Gorman

One thing that struck me in this address was when Gorman talked about people nowadays. About how people have no repose and how perhaps people of my generation may have not developed a rich interior life, due to being “bombarded with information and stimulation.” I don’t think this is true for me. It is true I sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the information out there that I find interesting and would like to learn about but simply do not have the time. But my interior life I still believe is fairly rich. In a society such as ours sometimes it is necessary to simply be alone for a while with your thoughts. Shut your door, turn of your cell phone and do some reflective reading, writing, or simply thinking about your life. I do not find it terribly hard to have an interior life if I make a bit of effort.

Discourse and Censorship by Steven R. Harris

It is Harris’ contention that libraries and the Library Bill of Rights, in fact overlook much of the censorship that goes on in the world today. One main example he gives is that of the large media conglomerations. Huge publishing houses and groups have a stranglehold on what people read. These groups have the power to print a multitude of books rather inexpensively and libraries perpetuate their censorship by buying only their materials. Harris calls us to take a good look at these conglomerates and their effects. Also Harris perceptively notices that libraries are a bit pretentious. We think that libraries are key in a democratic society, yet only 20 percent of people use libraries. In comment to this it is also true that only around 50 percent of people vote, and these are both areas in which this country could improve. Probably my favorite quote is his final sentence. “We should stop congratulating ourselves on how important we are to democracy and start behaving as though democracy really matters.” This has a ring of truth. Americans need to become more informed and more involved in their respective governments.

Why Thomas Jefferson Would Love Napster by Siva Vaidhyanathan

When our country was being founded great thinkers abounded. They debated heartily about copyright law, the formation of the new government and about important issues that would affect the following generations. We still have these issues today, but where have all the great thinkers gone? This is what makes me angry. Instead of Jefferson and Hamilton, we have Bush and Rumsfeld. Instead of conscientious and reflective leaders, we have ignorant and greedy dolts at the helm. I wish politics was different. I wish it was about issues and not about huge campaign budgets, lies, scandals, and superficialty.