Steve Fesenmaier writes ”
This is possibly the clearest, most concentrated presentation ever given by Sanford Berman. “Humanist Views,” a TV interview program produced by the Humanists of Minnesota, gives Sandy just 25 minutes. He uses every minute well, discussing the many, many problems patrons will find when they visit their local public library. Using a few examples, he discusses the very real censorship behind the friendly reference librarian or circ clerk you will find in the thousands of public libraries that claim to be “user friendly.”
Steve Fesenmaier writes ”
This is possibly the clearest, most concentrated presentation ever given by Sanford Berman. “Humanist Views,” a TV interview program produced by the Humanists of Minnesota, gives Sandy just 25 minutes. He uses every minute well, discussing the many, many problems patrons will find when they visit their local public library. Using a few examples, he discusses the very real censorship behind the friendly reference librarian or circ clerk you will find in the thousands of public libraries that claim to be “user friendly.”One can only compare Sandy to Noam Chomsky or Michael Moore – prophets who will say what has to be said. Sandy continues to lecture at library schools and library conferences around the country, calling himself the “unretired librarian.” Since he was forced to retire in 1999 he has been even more active, writing and lecturing even more than he did while working fulltime. Unfortunately, his website, hosted by the University of Illinois (http://web.library.uiuc.edu/ahx/ead/ala/9701040a
barely shows his furious activity, most notably his April 15th Elizabeth Stone Memorial Lecture at his alma mater, Catholic University of America, about workplace democracy. ( They posted a streaming video of the 60 minute presentation on their website – http://slis.cua.edu/alum/stone.html#previous. Hopefully the Berman website will get a copy of this moving speech for permanent access.) This was not the only film of Sandy this past summer. In a tape made in July for Minnesota Works, he is shown picketing for the hospital workers union in front of Fairview Southdale, a hospital near his home, and is briefly interviewed. If you want to see a record of the single most influential living librarian – and in my opinion the single best librarian EVER to live, including Melvil Dewey – purchase a $20 copy of this film by calling:
Humanists of Minnesota
P.O. Box 582997
Minneapolis, MN. 55455-2997
(651) 335-3800″
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