Fossil dwellers try and save library

Nope, TeleRead would free MORE money for buildings
Actually TeleRead would free more money to repair or replace the physical facilities and to make sure the kids had their story hours. Content is just part of library spending, but imagine if schoolchildren and the rest of the town had access to thousands of extra books and other items in time without Fossil having to steal money from building funds and the librarian’s salary. Not to mention other electronic resources, some of which I referred to in my post in the TeleRead area. Furthermore, I went out of my way to say the town should care about the here and now rather than just waiting for TeleRead to come around (“build up existing library resources now“).

Your remark about my doing TeleRead to sell books is rather surrealistic. No greedy vendors pay for the TeleRead site. I got a little unsolicited interest from two data-conversation houses, but I couldn’t figure out a way to take the possible money without a conflict of interest–given my preference for a nonproprietary approach. So the TeleRead site goes on without or without funding even if that’s a possibility later if somehow this can be done without compromising the integrity of the idea. TeleRead is a labor of love just like LIS News.

Actually, if you look at things from a standards perspective, which should count to any librarian who knows e-books, TeleRead has been rather at odds with the industry over rather cosmic-level issues. Like-minded people and I want a higher percentage of money going for actual content and less going to the software makers. Right now libraries are buying from the real Hills–the purveyors of proprietary formats who refuse to change, and who are selling libraries products that someday may end up just like Gemstar’s format.

If you care about these matters, and I hope you do, then you’ll take more time to understand the nuances and appreciate the benefits of a national digital library system rather than letting individual libraries get ripped off by vendors. They could still make local purchases, by the way. Please don’t trot out the canard that local libraries would have less choice. With more library content out there, they and their patrons would have more.

LIS is among my favorite sites, and I’m rather surprised and disappointed that you confused me with, say, Microsoft or Adobe. I trust you will not censor me now or in the future for explaining a pro-library idea, as opposed to pushing a product.

That said, it’s good that you’re at least acknowledging TeleRead’s existence. Do you understand now that it’s not a piece of hardware or software? Perhaps I’ve actually made some progress since you’re articulating concerns that I can address.

Cheers,
David Rothman | [email protected]
TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home
http://www.teleread.org
703-370-6540