Since our RIF story stirred up so much interest and debate, I thought LISNewsterz might enjoy another story on that very hot topic.
Here’s one woman’s opinion on the subject of reading. The woman is Theodora J. Kalikow, President of the University of Maine at Farmington. She concludes, like her mother before her (who wouldn’t let her bring Mad Magazine into the house), that “Reading is dangerous. But not reading is even more dangerous.”
What does that mean for us?
Librarians are dangerous, but no librarians are even more dangerous?
It depends
The “danger” posed by librarians might at times vary directly with the size of the collection they maintain. The larger the collection, the more potential worlds that can spark imagination. A well-built small collection could have just as much impact, though.
________________________
Stephen Kellat, Host, LISTen
When you consider
That publically funded education, literacy and libraries were rather early priorities in this country, going back as far as 1643, and their relation to the first amendment calls for freedom of the press being necessary for an informed electorate, librarians are a natural extension of that amendment.
What a good piece
I enjoyed that, and I did occasionally get Mad magazine in the house (I particularly enjoyed the foldable back cover – not really reading though).
A fertile mind is indeed a dangerous thing. If people are conditioned to believe one thing and all hope, imagination, and creativity are foreign to them they are living but at the same time dead. Reading can – and is- the small opening through which hope and dreams – desires, creativity, invention, and life itself are able to enter the mind of the reader and free them from the bonds of ignorance and despair.
Indeed librarians are dangerous – look at Cuba, but the lack of librarians is more dangerous. The Cuban people realize this and the private libraries and those who operate them under constant threat of imprisonment are indeed evidence of the importance of librarians.
In Cuba librarians are only dangerous to those who wish to suppress thought, to those who wish to suppress hope and dreams, those who would have the Cuban people subject to the servitude of ignorance and hopelessness. Librarians in Cuba are the freedom fighters for hope, dreams, invention and life itself.
Viva la Revolucion !
Viva el Bibliotecario !
I think the GAO reports given to new presidents
Coming into office after the previous president leaves office are more perversely
hilarious than Mad and Cracked combined.
This one had me howling with laughter:
Reagan Leaving Many Costly Domestic Problems, G.A.O. Tells Bush
LEAD: The top Federal auditor told President-elect Bush today that the Government would immediately have to address many domestic problems neglected by the Reagan Administration and that the costs would be staggering.
The top Federal auditor told President-elect Bush today that the Government would immediately have to address many domestic problems neglected by the Reagan Administration and that the costs would be staggering.
Comptroller General Charles A. Bowsher, the head of the General Accounting Office, said Mr. Bush should rethink the country’s worldwide military commitments, strengthen Federal regulation of banks and stockbrokers and provide new Federal incentives for private investment in low-rent housing for poor people.
Officials said no comptroller general in the accounting office’s 67-year history had volunteered such advice to a President-elect or, for that matter, so heavily implied criticism of an outgoing President’s management.
The comptroller general is a nonpartisan official appointed by the President. Mr. Bowsher was appointed by President Reagan in October 1981 for a 15-year term…
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE3DD1739F931A15752C1A96E948260
I cant wait to see the next report next year.
Remarkable
Seldom can someone stray more offtopic than I. You have performed a remarkable feat.
Kudos to you Mr. complaining about the government in every post guy.