Library Juice 4:28 - August 8, 2001
Contents:
- New Issue of NewBreed Librarian
- Chronicle of Higher Ed Colloquy on DMCA and Free Speech
- Fw: Foreign Relations of the United States -- Volume 26 Indonesia
- Grant will recruit Latinos, Indians for Library Sciences
- Sleeping with the enemy (for 'chump change')
- American Bar Association Establishes a Task Force to Review UCITA
- PLA Newsletter Volume 4, No. 15
- Online Digital Special Collections
- Joel Kahn's Materials on Artificial Intelligence
- Census won't release homeless statistics
- AAP v."extremist" librarians (Waco-style)
- Cops and Libraries
Quote for the week:
"A man that should call everything by its right name would hardly pass
the street without being knocked down as a common enemy."- George Savile, Lord Halifax
Personal Home Page of the Week: Joyce Kasman Valenza
http://joycevalenza.com/________________________________________________________________________top
1. New Issue of NewBreed Librarian
Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 10:39:06 -0700
From: Juanita Benedicto <juanitab[at]OREGON.UOREGON.EDU>
To: [web nuts who publish on librarianship]Hi Everyone,
Colleen and I have just posted the August edition of NewBreed Librarian.
This month you'll find < http://www.newbreedlibrarian.org/current/ >:FEATURE
The Perception of Image and Status in the Library Profession by
Deirdre Dupri
During a conversation between Juanita and the author at our poster
session at ALA, Deirdre brought up her research, which centers on the
self-defeating ways librarians perpetuate professional anxiety over less
than satisfactory status and preoccupy themselves with the image much more
than the outside perception of librarians warrants. We invited Deirdre to
share her research with you.INTERVIEW
Joanna Kroll, Career Services Coordinator at the University of
Michigan's School of Information, tells us about what she does, provides
some real life examples, talks about who is hiring recent grads, and
advises on how to seek new challenges and directions for those of us
already in the field. If you don't know all that your career center can do
for you: read this interview. It may help you find and secure that first
job, or perhaps look for another one.PEOPLE
Richard Heinzkill is a friend, colleague, and mentor to both of us. He
shares advice for new librarians gleaned from 30 years as a librarian.ASK SUSU
Susu, our sometimes irreverent advice columnist, answers your questions
about work, school, the job hunt, and librarianship in general. In this
issue, Susu advises on ... well, let's just say she advises.TECH TALK
Moaning, lost profiles, and deviant formats: mama never told me it was
gonna rain like this.---------------------
Tech Talk was especially a fun write-up, we love Richard, someone set
herself up in Ask Susu, Deirdre writes a somewhat controversial feature
article, and Joanna Kroll provides great advice as a Career Services
Coordinator.Enjoy,
Juanita
________________________________________________________________________top
2. Chronicle of Higher Ed Colloquy on DMCA and Free Speech
One provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which was designed
to update copyright law to encourage electronic commerce, makes it a crime
to bypass an encryption device that limits access to copyrighted material,
or to distribute decryption technology. Many computer-science professors,
especially those who work on encryption issues, believe the provision is
being used or could be used to limit their research and their ability to
discuss their research with other scholars. They are calling for courts to
throw out the law as unconstitutional. Some other scholars, however, say
that the law is a necessary way to protect copyright in the digital age.
Does the Digital Millennium Copyright Act violate the First Amendment and
the academic-freedom rights of scholars?For further information, see this background article:
2 Scholars Face Off in Copyright Clash (8/10/2001)
http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i48/48a04501.htmFor the Colloquy go to:
http://chronicle.com/colloquy/2001/dmca/dmca.htm
________________________________________________________________________top
3. Fw: Foreign Relations of the United States -- Volume 26 Indonesia
Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2001 19:53:35 -0600
From: "Bernadine Abbott Hoduski" <ber[at]initco.net>
To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org>Hi Council Members, This is the latest on the State Department Foreign
Relations volume on Indonesia. A little publicity always makes people think
twice before taking action. Thanks Mark for alerting Council about this
situation. There is an ALA letter in the works. The Washington Office is
working on it with members of the COL. Bernadine Abbott Hoduski GODORT
Councilor
-----Original Message-----
From: Jones, Betty M. <bjones[at]GPO.GOV>
To: GOVDOC-L[at]LISTS.PSU.EDU <GOVDOC-L[at]LISTS.PSU.EDU>
Date: Monday, August 06, 2001 4:35 PM
Subject: Foreign Relations of the United States -- Volume 26 Indonesia
>Library Programs Service's most recent communication with State Department
>officials (as of August 1, 2001) indicates that at this time, they are not
>planning to recall Foreign Relations of the United States, Vol. 26,
>Indonesia; Malaysia-Singapore; Philippines from the depository libraries.
>They have, however, asked GPO to place the Sales copies temporarily "on
>hold".
>
>
>Betty M. Jones
>Chief, Depository Administration Branch
>Library Programs Service, STOP SLLA
>U.S. Government Printing Office
>Washington, D.C. 20401
>(202) 512-1071 (voice) x 30589
>(202) 512-1432 (FAX)
>bjones[at]gpo.gov________________________________________________________________________top
4. Grant will recruit Latinos, Indians for Library Sciences
Fewer than 5 percent of Hispanics and 1 percent of American Indians work as
academic or public librarians. The University of Arizona School of
Information Resources and Library Science is hoping that a $500,000 federal
grant might helpchange that. The University of Arizona has received a
two-year award from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Science to
begin its "Knowledge River" project, aimed at increasing minority
recruitment in library and information science degree programs. "We will
work with local and national experts to develop and enrich our curriculum
and develop research projects that will attract students who want to help
solve the information problems of the 'digital divide,' " said Brooke
Sheldon, director of the information resources and library science school.
[SOURCE: Tucson Citizen, AUTHOR: Staff Reporter]http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/local/7_31_01library_grant.html
________________________________________________________________________top
5. Sleeping with the enemy (for 'chump change')
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 01:14:20 -0400
From: Mark Rosenzweig <iskra[at]earthlink.net>
To: SRRT Action Council <srrtac-l[at]ala.org>
Cc: srrtac-l[at]ala.org, plgnet-l[at]listproc.sjsu.edu
:Concering:
>ALA NEWS RELEASE
>American Library Association
>Public Information Office
>[at] your library
>Vol. 7, No. 9'Sleeping with the enemy' (for chump change)...
a Councilor's 'cri de coeur'
The "partnership" announced in the current ALA NEWS RELEASE
between ALA and Barnes & Nobles (B&N) is more than disturbing.It suggests that we should consider ALA to stand for, not "American
Library Association" but, rather, "Anything Lucre Asks" -- and it isn't
MUCH lucre either, which makes it all the more pathetic.The estimable -- and initially properly and productively 'branded' --
"project of the American Library Association", 'Storylines', a
production which very nicely and DISTINCTIVELY associated our name
--ALA -- and, by implication, our entire, threatened profession, with
something which is potentially extremely lively, popular, appropriate,
high quality, well-distributed and free-of-charge -- a radio series on
'regional literature',,-- is an announcement of what - for the momentstands
as the apogee of fecklessness in ALA's incompetent, PR
consultant-driven strategic initiatives.It may be the most misguided and frankly infuriating of all the recent
ventures into corporate 'partnering" and "co-branding" yet conceived by
the high-paid brain-trust which is driving this strategy.For a piddling $30.000 (tax deductible?). $30,000, dear friends. As
librarians. It may seem monumental to you but to B&N it is an
INFINITESSIMAL price for this amount of PR.Barnes & Nobles, a quintessential CORPORATE CARNIVORE, which just this
week swallowed several huge book chains in a gulp, gets to have ITS
name associated with OUR lovely project AND advertised FOR FREE,over
and over and over again all around the country, in what would cost
countless MILLIONS in actual advertising/PR dollars on the market.
What's more, they're associating themselves so psycho-efficaciously
with warm and cuddly (and SOON TO BE EXTINCT (?)), libraries, which is
IMMEASURABLY much more effective for them than us, astronomically more
effective for them than it is for ALA Inc. , the latter whose
self-promotional interests I now have to clearly differentiate from the
interests of libraries, librarians and librarianship, and is, indeed.
more and more acted upon at the expense of the values and, worse, the
INTERESTS, of the profession and institutions it pretends to
represent.To the corporate community we --libraries, librarians and our
'Association' - look like and, indeed, are the CHUMPS of all times.It doesn't enhance our 'public image' to be so visibly pathetic &
obsequious in inviting a 'joint venture' with the very obvious ENEMY OF
BIBLIO-DIVERSITY itself. A co-brandind corporate partnership with
Barnes and Noble, allowing them to piggy-back ON US , while public
libraries are literally on their knees, STAND TALL on our good name
(for a mere $30,000 -- for which they could only get ONE 1/4 page ad in
the New York Times for ONE edition ON ONE DAY!) while on their glorious
road to market domination which has destroyed in its wake all small,
medium-sized, even merely not quite 'mega' book stores, businesses
which have cultivated, for centuries, a biblio-diverse universe of
publishing and reading.We are allying in this 'joint venture' with the single most notorious
private corporate entity which is --at the moment, most effectively and
by virtue of the logic of the market -- creating a virtual
bibliographic monoculture!What a glorious partnership to celebrate!
We are not only "sleeping with the enemy," but letting them 'have their
way with us' and, by generous invitation through the rear door, for a
few bucks. And in some misguided notion-- which even a novice whore
would be disabused of in a month of practice --that OUR associating
with THEM reflects well on US!I know that the President of ALA is 'supposed to ' say such things, but
I am nonetheless appalled by President Berry's quote in the press
release: "The contribution from Barnes & Noble will enhance the growing
partnership between bookstores and libraries nationwide,"[...] HOW
SO????A "growing partnership" between libraries and [mega-corporate?]
bookstores? Yeah, like B&N is just some kind of "bookstore". Sound so
quaint, don't it? Wake up Mr. Berry!Say's Mr. Berry of ALA: "We look forward to a continuing relationship
with Barnes & Noble." Relationship? Talk about B&D/S&M!!It's a partnership, alright, like the 'partnership' between the
predator and the prey, between the hawk and the mouse.And further: "The American Library Association is grateful for this
sponsorship as part of our mission to promote literacy in America". Oh
yes, we're in the same 'business' aren't we, when all is said and done
(and we no longer exist)?And Barnes & Noble?:in our press release we say: "Barnes & Noble
bookstores and libraries across the country share a passion for books,"
said Alan Kahn, chief operating officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc.
"Supporting the work of the American Library Association is one of the
most important things that we do." And one of the most cost-effective
and strategic.I'm afraid, however, the passion we 'share' is somewhat differently
motivated, as Mr. Kahn could just as well be selling ladies' shoes as
books and be just as passionate and successful. And B&N's support for
ALA? It's the most important thing they do because it directly
contributes to their eliminating public libraries from their path of
corporate dominance. It's just a little bribe to paralyze any potential
opposition to corporate monopolization. Isn't this what our association
is supposed to guard us against?And, besides, THEIR passion is profit-driven --plain and simple -- and
ours, librarians', has some other (yes there ARE other) motivations.
But what the hell: "We're all in the 'book business' anyway. And books
is good..." Thus spake Forest Gump...Here's the conclusion to my heartbreaking yet somehow headshakingly
laughable story of the lamb being GRATEFULLY, THANKFULLY devoured alive
by the lion.The press release from ALA even turns ITSELF into an ad for BARNES &
NOBLE. INC.!!!Publishing and distributing to ALA's membership a virtual panagyric to
the benificence and glory of Barnes & Noble ("recently..,acquired B
Dalton...Babbages..Funco; the nation's largest operator of video games
& entertainment softeware..")I quote the following (note the disparity in promotional energy) from
ihe INTERNAL ALA 'press release' (imagine what will reach the public):>>>>
[excerpt]
Founded in 1876, ALA has a membership of more than 60,000
librarians and library supporters. Its mission is to promote the
highest quality library services and public access to information.Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) operates 569 Barnes & Noble and 339 B.
Dalton bookstores, and, with its acquisition of Babbage's Etc. and
Funco, Inc., is the nation's largest operator of video game and
entertainment software stores. Barnes & Noble stores stock an
authoritative selection of book titles and provide access to more than
one million titles. They offer books from more than 50,000 publisher
imprints with an emphasis on small, independent publishers and
university presses. Barnes & Noble is the world's largest bookseller
on the World Wide Web (http://www.bn.com) and the premiere bookseller
on America Online's (Keyword: bn) proprietary network. Barnes & Noble
also publishes books under its own imprint for exclusive sale through
its retail stores and Web site.Further information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the
Internet by visiting the company's corporate Web site:
http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com.[/excerpt]
And, even in our own internal press release we give the bloody hotlink
to B&N, not once. butT W I CE ! ! !
We have been through this now with 3M, with Verizon, with
Ameritech. Let's stop the madness (or at least the stupidty) of these
self-destructive forms of imitation of the the "corporate way" and find
some way to promote libraries and not tghe forces that are crushing and
ultimately will succed in eliminating public libraries as we know them.Mark C. Rosenzweig
ALA Councilor at large
________________________________________________________________________top
6. American Bar Association Establishes a Task Force to Review UCITA
This is the latest from the ALA Washington Office (the best part of ALA,
next to SRRT, IMHO)
ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 10, Number 59
August 7, 2001In this issue:
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION ESTABLISHES A TASK FORCE TO REVIEW UCITA
[1] American Bar Association establishes a task force to review
UCITA.On August 2, the American Bar Association (ABA) Board of Governors
approved the formation of an ABA Task Force to review the Uniform
Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA). A high level task
force will meet during the fall to evaluate the strengths and
weaknesses of UCITA and to ascertain the willingness of the
proponents to negotiate changes in good faith. NCCUSL has agreed
to stand down from pushing UCITA in the state legislatures until
the task force completes its work. This agreement does not include
the other proponents of UCITA like Microsoft or AOL, etc. who
could still pursue passage in state legislatures. Currently, UCITA
is a bill in Washington and the District of Columbia.The formation of this task force prevented a vote on a resolution
recommending that the ABA formally oppose UCITA and recommend that
it be withdrawn for redrafting. Librarians and other opponents of
UCITA sent letters to ABA delegates from their respective states,
encouraging them to vote for this resolution.At this point, it is unclear whether this task force review will
lead to a long substantive redrafting of UCITA or whether it will
result in the kind of deadlock that has previously characterized
any attempt to modify UCITA. The ABA mid-winter meeting in
February 2002 would be the earliest time for UCITA to be
considered again by the full membership of ABA. ABA review of
uniform commercial laws such as UCITA are customary and considered
essential for advancement.The ABA action signifies the influence of the opposition on the
progress of UCITA. The pressure to kill or amend UCITA drastically
is building. However, it is too early to assume that UCITA is
dead. Caution continues to be the byword regarding UCITA.******
ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the
American Library Association Washington Office. All materials
subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be
reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with
appropriate credits.To subscribe to ALAWON, send the message: subscribe ala-wo
[your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc[at]ala.org or go to
http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. To unsubscribe to ALAWON, send
the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc[at]ala.org. ALAWON
archives at http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon.ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403,
Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478
toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash[at]alawash.org; Web
site: http://www.ala.org/washoff. Executive Director: Emily
Sheketoff. Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley,
Director; Mary Costabile, Peter Kaplan, Miriam Nisbet and
Claudette Tennant. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick
Weingarten, Director; Jennifer Hendrix, Carrie Russell and Saundra
Shirley. ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.
________________________________________________________________________top
7. PLA Newsletter Volume 4, No. 15
For html version of this newsletter click on:
http://www.pla.org/news/planews72701.html
PLA, ALSC to Partner on Early Childhood Literacy Initiative
The Public Library Association (PLA), and the Association for Library
Service to Children (ALSC), both divisions of the American Library
Association, have formed a joint committee in order to partner with
the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD),
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in order to provide
information and training that will help parents and teachers of
preschool children get ready to read. In addition to helping
disseminate information from research findings on how children learn
to read, the groups will work together to help build public library
services for preschool children based upon the findings in NICHD
studies and the recommendations of the NRP Report. More information
is available at www.pla.org/preschool.html.******************
Planning For Results - Transform Your Library for the 21st Century
PLA will hold a Planning for Results Workshop on Tuesday, October 16,
2001 at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado, California. The
one-day workshop will introduce public library staff members "The New
Planning For Results: A Streamlined Approach." The "New Planning
For Results" is the fourth in a series of PLA books dedicated to
helping public librarians develop strategic plans for their
libraries. The "New Planning for Results" incorporates the
experiences and recommendations of many of the librarians who have
used "Planning For Results" over the past three years. As the
subtitle makes clear, "The New Planning for Results" presents a
simplified planning process, one that most library managers can
complete in about four months. This hands-on workshop will introduce
public library staff members "The New Planning for Results." If you
thought that planning was too hard or too time-consuming to be
practical for your library, this workshop is for you.Participants will leave this workshop with the skills needed to plan
for results! The tentative conference agenda is:
Tuesday, October 16, 2001 7:30 a.m. Registration/Check-In Begins 8:00
a.m. Continental Breakfast Available 9:00 a.m. Welcome/Introductions
Morning Topics: "Every Library Starts From Someplace Different;" In
the Beginning: The Planning Committee is Key;" and "Community Needs:
The Foundation of All Successful Plans" Lunch Break Afternoon Topics:
"Library Services Responses: The Link Between Community Needs and
Library Programs and Services;" "Goals and Objectives: The Results
Your Library Wants and How Those Results Will Be Measured;" "Resource
Allocation: Results Require Resources;" "What's Next: Planning for
Results In Your Library" 5:00 p.m. Workshop EndsTarget Audience: This workshop is appropriate for Library Managers
and TrusteesHousing PLA has reserved a block of sleeping rooms for this event at:
Loews Coronado Bay Resort 4000 Coronado Bay Road Coronado, CA 92118
At a rate of $199 single/double room, plus tax. To make your hotel
reservation call 619-424-4000.General Registration - Registration deadline September 21, 2001
Registration fee includes all workshop materials, continental
breakfast, and afternoon breaks. $160 PLA Personal Member $190 ALA
Member $220 Nonmember $140 2-4 Registrants from same library or
system $120 5 or more Registrants from same library or systemWorkshop leader Sandra Nelson is a consultant specializing in public
library planning and management issues. She is co-author of "Wired
for the Future: Developing Your Library Technology Plan" (ALA, 1999)
and "Managing for Results: Effective Resource Allocation for Public
Libraries (ALA, 2000) and recently completed "The New Planning for
Results - A Streamlined Approach" (ALA 2001).The registration form for this workshop will be available on our
website shortly (www.pla.org) or call 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA to be
placed on the mailing list.********************
Apply for The Planning for Results Train-the-Trainer Program in San
Diego More information and an application for this program is
available athttp://www.pla.org/plandenver.html
********************
ALA Applauds Court Ruling on CIPA Decision The American Library
Association (ALA) yesterday gained a preliminary victory in its legal
challenge to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the
federal Internet filtering law. In a one-paragraph decision, the
three-judge federal district court denied the government's motion to
dismiss the ALA's case. Read more at
http://www.ala.org/news/v7n10/cipa.html********************
Forthcoming from PLA "Consumer Health Information: The Public
Library's Role" a monograph written by Andrea Kenyon and Barbara
Palmer Cassini and published by the Public Library Association will
be available soon from PLA. The book will cover topics like Assessing
Consumer Health Needs; Collection Management; Consumer Health
Programming; Internet and Online Resources; Community Partnerships;
Funding and more. If you're looking to improve your library's
consumer health services you'll want to be sure to get a copy of this
book. Check out www.pla.org for updates.******************
"Public Libraries" Members will receive the next issue of "Public
Libraries" during the first week of October. The issue will feature
the following articles:
· Public Libraries and Comprehensive Community Initiatives for
Youth Development · Filling the Verdi Vacuum · Fast and Slow
Lanes of the Information Highway · Going for the GreenPlus, the issue features a lively interview with essayist David
Sedaris, by editorial assistant, Brendan Dowling. Don't miss it!*********************
PLA Councilor's Report from 2000 ALA Annual Conference - Read it at
http://www.pla.org/news/councilreport01.html**********************
Open letter from UNICEF to public librarians - read it at
http://www.pla.org/news/unicef.html**********************
Robert Martin confirmed as Director of IMLS Martin's appointment as
Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services was recently
confirmed by the Senate. Directorship of the IMLS is alternately
held by leaders from the museum and library communities. Robert
Martin will be the first Director of IMLS who comes from the library
world. Martin is a Professor and Interim Director of the School of
Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman's University in
Denton, Texas. He served as Director and Librarian of the Texas State
Library and Archives Commission from 1995 to 1999 and served as a
Professor and as Associate Dean of Special Collections at Louisiana
State University from 1991 to 1995.*********************
Questions about PLA? Visit the new FAQ on the PLA Web Page at
http://www.pla.org/faq.html
________________________________________________________________________top
8. Online Digital Special Collections
Libraries, by the very nature of what they are (and
what they are is groovy) can put together one heck of
an online collection. ExLibris ( http://www.exlib.org/ )
is an attempt to catalog the many available online
collections.The left side of the front page is the list of
categories available. Categories include religion,
music, and science. Clicking on a category gives you a
list of collections with a link -- annotation is pretty
minimal.I don't know how long this site has been up. It looks
new; there are not a whole bunch of sites listed here
yet. I'd like to see it really grow. In the meantime,
it has two other sections to keep you occupied --
etexts (links to e-text collections) and OnlineCatalogs
(links to online library catalogs, pretty short list.)
Worth a look but needs some growing into.Reproduced with the kind permission of ResearchBuzz
( http://www.researchbuzz.com ).
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9. Joel Kahn's Materials on Artificial Intelligence
http://maroon.smsu.edu/j/jok707s/
The original versions of these materials were produced as part of my
academic work during 2000 and 2001. All of these works have been altered
from their original forms; they should still be considered crude drafts and
works-in-progress. I encourage everyone to send me feedback and to freely
exploit any of this stuff.In addition, I have taken all of the original bibliographies of these
works and joined them together into a single file. This may be a mixed
blessing. If you find any errors/problems in my compilation of sources, or
if you simply have suggestions about how the whole mess can be improved,
please feel free to send me email at the address below.
- The Divine Room
- The Machine Argues
- H. U. G. O.
- An Expanding Box
- Sources
Introduction (to The Divine Room)
The concept has been hypnotizing people since before the start of recorded
history: the being beyond the mere mortal; the superior creature; the
superhuman. We have a love-hate relationship with it?dreading it but drawn
towards it by our very dread, and desiring to become it but frightened of
the consequences of doing so. Our obsession with the sort-of-human made
words like "Frankenstein" and "robot" into permanent parts of the English
language. However, the concept never came close to physical reality, nor
did many people expect it to?until the last half of the twentieth century.Enter the digital computer. Unlike the animals, our nearest natural
competitors for the label of "intelligent," computers "used language"
(meaning they manipulated symbols) even from their early days as
electromechanical code-breakers (Kurzweil 1999 268). Since we humans (for
better or worse) rely extensively on language for making judgments about
intelligence, the birth of a certain idea was probably inevitable: If a
machine can spit out a lot of symbols in the right ways, then we?ll say the
machine is as intelligent as we would judge a human to be if he or she did
the same kind of symbol-spitting.Thus appeared the movement now known as "artificial intelligence" or AI,
and the great war began between the people who hope and believe that
machines eventually will be superior to flesh-and-blood humans, and the
people who doubt and oppose the idea. Is there any objectivity on either
side? Probably not. Will there ever be an end to the fight? I am not
expecting even a cease-fire, let alone an armistice, within my lifetime. In
fact, it appears that the war is escalating drastically as available
technologies get fancier and fancier. That, in a sense, is what this paper
is about. One side has come to believe that the machine is God; the other
insists that machines will be hollow and mindless forever. It is a
theological debate, as intense as any other holy war.How did the pro-AI camp move all the way from the computer as
symbol-pusher to the machine as God? What kind of God do they conceive the
machine to be? How do the anti-AI people respond? All this forms a long and
messy story. What follows is one way of telling the tale. We can be certain
that there will be many others.
________________________________________________________________________top
10. Census won't release homeless statistics
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Smith <smith_craig_a[at]oslmac.osl.state.or.us>
To: Listserv Censor Members <cens-or[at]sparkie.osl.state.or.us>; Listserv
libs-or <libs-or[at]sparkie.osl.state.or.us>; listserv digor
<digor[at]lists.uoregon.edu>
Date: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 11:31 AM
Subject: libs-or/ Homeless data not available
>CENSUS WON'T RELEASE HOMELESS STATISTICS - Reversing the way it handled
>the data 10 years ago, the Census Bureau says it will not provide states
>
>and cities with the figures on their homeless populations. The state and
>
>city homeless counts released in 1990 were widely viewed as inaccurate.
>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/06/28/MN175671.DTL >
>I wonder how much the Bureau spent collecting this data - and now not
>releasing it?
>
>--craig
>
>
>
>---------
>Information about libs-or, and a searchable archive of libs-or messages is
>available at: http://www2.osl.state.or.us/archives/archive.html
>
________________________________________________________________________top
11. AAP v."extremist" librarians (Waco-style)
Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 17:51:01 -0500
From: Mark Rosenzweig <iskra[at]earthlink.net>
To: SRRT Action Council <srrtac-l[at]ala.org>
Cc: srrtac-l[at]ala.org, plg-l[at]listproc.sjsu.edu
Reply to: srrtac-l[at]ala.org
What follows is one ALA Councilor's reaction(mine) to the AAP's current
spokesperson re: librarians and copyright....
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Dear Ms. Platt
You wrote the letter below in reply to Declan McCullaghs' response to
publication of your allegations about librarians ("...librarians are
finding themselves the subject of rhetoric usually reserved for terrorists
or revolutionaries. "They've got their radical factions, like the Ruby
Ridge or Waco types," who want to share all content for free, said Judith
Platt, a spokeswoman for the Association of American Publishers...")As you know, your quoted remarks in that recent article
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-201-6545588-0.html followed the earlier,
unexpectedly yet unabashedly hostile public statement of Pat Schroeder on
behalf of the publishing industry, that, put quite simply "Librarians are
the enemy", a brief and bold characterization which was never effectively
disclaimed as the emphatically-made, yet entirely erroneous
characterization it was.Now you begin a reply to Mr. McCullagh, 'explaining' yourself...
"In case anyone out there is REALLY interested in the truth re the ZDNEt
story on librarians and copyright, I was quoted completely out of context."Why wouldn't librarians "REALLY" be interested in the truth?
One truth one discerns is that you can't disguise the fact that you believe
you are, somehow, the injured party here and that your remarks, "taken out
of context", were entirely innocent.Yet how innocent can they be when they were entirely consistent with - and
a rather grotesque elaboration of - Pat Schroeder's earlier battle cry
that, for publishers, "Librarians are the enemy"? Your saying what you did
strongly suggested to most people the continuity of that attitude in the
AAP. That's the larger "context" of your remarks as I see it.You now say:
>"My reference to "Ruby Ridge," while perhaps ill-advised, was
>used metaphorically to indicate an extremist position out of the
>mainstream--a very radical view that has been expressed in some quarters
>(although not by any librarians of my acquaintance...)"Your reference to "Ruby Ridge" (and Waco) was CERTAINLY "ill-advised."
It was also entirely inappropriate and distasteful. It wouldn't be fair to
use it to characterize ANY 'factions' in the library field , including
those who actually take the position you describe as "radical" and
"extremist" (you claim now that you don't even know any such factions or
persons ).What's "extremist" was your analogy of rational, non-violent professionals,
in this case librarians -- some holding a different philosophical point of
view than your bosses' on a contentious issue --as, on that account, IN ANY
WAY comparable to gun-toting cultists (your references to Waco, Ruby Ridge)
who were considered so dangerous (in my opinion, without justification)
that they were ruthlessly destroyed by the government!When all is said and done, I suppose the AAP believes (and this is the
implicit meaning of your initial remarks on their behalf) that it should be
clear that anyone, any librarian "radical", who suggests that whatever the
publishing industry feels they need to do to maximize their profits may
not necessarily be in the public interest, would deserve "metaphorically"
having their public library burned down with the "radicals'" inside, a la
Waco.Mark Rosenzweig
ALA Councilor at large [for ID purposes only]
Councilor, SRRT/ALA (Social Responsibilities Round Table/ALA ) [for ID
purposes only]+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Judith Platt wrote in response to Declan McCullagh:
>
>From: Judith Platt <jplatt[at]publishers.org>
>To: "'declan[at]well.com'" <declan[at]well.com>
>Subject: The ZD Net Story
>Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 10:40:19 -0400
>
>Dear Declan:
>
>In case anyone out there is REALLY interested in the truth re the ZDNEt
>story on librarians and copyright, I was quoted completely out of context.
>The reporter totally misinterpreted my remarks, either through her own lack
>of understanding or a desire to ratchet up discord between publishers and
>librarians. My reference to "Ruby Ridge," while perhaps ill-advised, was
>used metaphorically to indicate an extremist position out of the
>mainstream--a very radical view that has been expressed in some quarters
>(although not by any librarians of my acquaintance) that all computer code
>is protected speech under the First Amendment and that no one--neither a
>publisher nor an author, nor anyone else-should be able to encrypt
>copyrighted material to protect it from unauthorized use and reproduction,
>and expect the encryption to be viewed as any other lock used to protect
>property. My reference to an "extreme position" HAD NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO
>DO WITH THE DESIRE OR ABILITY OF LIBRARIANS TO MAKE INFORMATION FREELY
>AVAILABLE.
>
>What the reporter, Ms. Bowman, failed to include in her article were my
>numerous statements about the cooperative relationship between publishers
>(and their national trade association) and librarians. We totally value
>what librarians do and we are working together to come up with ways that
>will take full advantage of the new digital environment to make information
>available to the widest possible audience without sacrificing the legitimate
>copyright interests of authors and publishers.
>
>Judith Platt
>Director of Communications & Public Affairs
>Association of American Publishers
>50 F Street, NW
>Washington, DC 20001
>email: jplatt[at]publishers.org
>
>
>
>
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12. Cops and Libraries
Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2001 19:18:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: "James S. Tyre" <jstyre[at]jstyre.com>
To: publib <publib[at]sunsite.berkeley.edu>
Subject: Cops and LibrariesAs some of you know, there has been a great deal of hue and cry over the
arrest of Dmitry Sklyarov under the criminal provisions of the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act. I'm not forwarding the message below to make a
point about the Sklyarov situation. Rather, I think that all librarians
here will appreciate it for other reasons. (If anyone cares, this was in
Phoenix.)>To: free-sklyarov[at]zork.net
>From: mw[at]themail.com
>Reply-To: mw[at]themail.com
>Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 15:03:34 -0400
>
>
>We had a GREAT turnout today!
>we handed out a lot of flyers and spoke with people.
>
>The library was a prime place for protesting/flyer distro.
>
>Because we contacted the local p.d. Det. Davis (who handles city p.r.
>stuff came down to make sure noone bothered us)
>
>One guy complained about us, said we were loitering:
>Detective Davis replied:
>They have a right to be here... This is the library, why don't you go
>inside and read about your Constitutional rights.
>
>ahahaha It was great!
>
________________________________________________________________________top
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