Libraries Still Getting “Dissed” By Journalists

stevenj writes “I know I probably shouldn’t care, but I still get riled by articles that make completely ignorant statements that speak volumes about the journalist’s complete lack of knowledge about what libraries are offering to their user communities. The latest one is a technology column from the August 9 issue of Fortune. In his column about good computers for college students Peter Lewis states (among other things) that “the Internet is the “world brain” the [H.G.] Wells envisioned, and it is the most powerful learning tool for students everywhere. All a modern scholar needs is to tap into that properly prepared spot [the Internet].” Well, I wrote my letter to the editor indicating how ludicrous and library-ignorant this sort of statement is. What about you? Read the column at:
Fortune.com“

August 5, 2004 by Internet Libraries

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2 Responses

  1. leeb says:
    August 5, 2004 at 7:59 pm

    It is no wonder!
    Why do journalists, of all people whose job is to report facts (?), have this negative perception about libraries and what they offer? They seem to have a better understanding and positive perception (rightly or wrongly) about the internet. Are all journalists expert users of the internet of did they take a special course in internet? Somehow I think they have this glowing perception about the internet because it is user-friendly and designed for the layperson and it is so accessible. On the other hand, libraries use methodologies (MARC, AACR2) that only a library graduate can understand. Simply, internet is primarily content-driven, while libraries are so much library system/methodology/library standards-driven that they ignore the needs of the end-user. I read that 90% of library activity is focused on backroom operations, and 10% on customers. It should be the other way around. It is no wonder libraries have such a negative image.
    Well, I wrote my letter to the editor indicating how ludicrous and library-ignorant this sort of statement is. What about you? Read the column at: Fortune.com”

  2. Cyberpunk Librarian says:
    August 5, 2004 at 8:05 pm

    The Internet as Learning Tool

    Sure the Internet is the “world brain.” However, a brain is only as good as its owner and, given that the human race is prone to schizophrenia, paranoia, despression, delusion, and possesses a remarkable capability to harm itself; I think that we should take all that into account when we look at this world brain.

    Beyond that did I mention a propensity for violence, aggression, dehumanization, torture, fear, prejudice, bigotry, ignorance, illiteracy, stupidty, conspiracy, and politics? Yeah we do all that too. And you can find it all right next door on your friendly neighbourhood Internet. You can find all the above on any militant religious website. Or white power website. Or you might try websites on the Holocaust. While the Holocaust is historical fact, any good scholarly website will have every element listed above too. Or, if that’s not to your taste, you can find other websites claiming the Holocaust never happened. It’s got it all too, just from a different slant.

    The fact that someone would consider the Internet the be all end all of research methodology scares the hell out of me. The fact that this shmuck is a paid journalist working for a prominent (notice I didn’t say prestigious) magazine is even more frightening. Next he’ll be saying that the economy is on the up and up because he read about it on Sluggy Freelance.

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