Comments on: Using your Librarians http://blog.oup.com/2009/03/librarians/ Academic insights for the thinking world. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:01:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Impractical? Pshaw! « Perplexed with Narrow Passages http://blog.oup.com/2009/03/librarians/#comment-149775 Impractical? Pshaw! « Perplexed with Narrow Passages Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:37:49 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=3525#comment-149775 [...] Even in a small town, there’s no lack of places to go sit down, drink coffee, and use a laptop. Maybe that’s why I’m always so sad every time I hear that an academic library is thinking of going “gigantic computer lab with a coffee shop.” Campuses already dedicate a lot of space and money to computer labs. The library is the only place with these crazy low-tech things called books and archives. I realize that libraries need computers, but it’s really just a question of space–inside the building and inside the budget–that has to be balanced against the specific mission of the library itself. If you devote all that space to study rooms and computer infrastructure, you run into a lot of problems. [...] [...] Even in a small town, there’s no lack of places to go sit down, drink coffee, and use a laptop. Maybe that’s why I’m always so sad every time I hear that an academic library is thinking of going “gigantic computer lab with a coffee shop.” Campuses already dedicate a lot of space and money to computer labs. The library is the only place with these crazy low-tech things called books and archives. I realize that libraries need computers, but it’s really just a question of space–inside the building and inside the budget–that has to be balanced against the specific mission of the library itself. If you devote all that space to study rooms and computer infrastructure, you run into a lot of problems. [...]

]]> By: Cybrarian http://blog.oup.com/2009/03/librarians/#comment-149611 Cybrarian Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:51:04 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=3525#comment-149611 "The OCLC" is not just for librarians. Many libraries provide access to the full WorldCat database, not the watered down subset found in worldcat.org. “The OCLC” is not just for librarians. Many libraries provide access to the full WorldCat database, not the watered down subset found in worldcat.org.

]]> By: Musings on a Monday « The Waki Librarian http://blog.oup.com/2009/03/librarians/#comment-149593 Musings on a Monday « The Waki Librarian Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:12:55 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=3525#comment-149593 [...] of appreciating librarians and archivists, check out this article on“Using your Librarians”. So reference librarians rejoice! There is at least one human out there who appreciates what you do [...] [...] of appreciating librarians and archivists, check out this article on“Using your Librarians”. So reference librarians rejoice! There is at least one human out there who appreciates what you do [...]

]]> By: Book Calendar http://blog.oup.com/2009/03/librarians/#comment-149582 Book Calendar Sun, 08 Mar 2009 01:37:54 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=3525#comment-149582 Books are cultural objects. They are not just information. You might say that the content is what matters. There is more to an older book than what is between the pages. The binding, the paper, the typeface, the design, even the illustrations are considerably different between old and new books. A book is a device just like a computer is a device. How that device is put together and presented is just as important in some ways as the content. A book that is well designed with quality paper, fine bindings, quality art prints, and exceptional design is as important to keep as an electronic copy. Sometimes it is more important to keep. An art book on Monet or Van Gogh is more than just a series of images. Cheap paperbacks and old hardcovers that are falling apart are not that impressive. I can see them being replaced easily with the kindle or electronic books. The problem is that many people don't recognize fine books as more than just information. Books are cultural objects. They are not just information. You might say that the content is what matters. There is more to an older book than what is between the pages.

The binding, the paper, the typeface, the design, even the illustrations are considerably different between old and new books.

A book is a device just like a computer is a device. How that device is put together and presented is just as important in some ways as the content.

A book that is well designed with quality paper, fine bindings, quality art prints, and exceptional design is as important to keep as an electronic copy. Sometimes it is more important to keep. An art book on Monet or Van Gogh is more than just a series of images.

Cheap paperbacks and old hardcovers that are falling apart are not that impressive. I can see them being replaced easily with the kindle or electronic books.

The problem is that many people don’t recognize fine books as more than just information.

]]> By: the.effing.librarian http://blog.oup.com/2009/03/librarians/#comment-149568 the.effing.librarian Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:30:52 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/?p=3525#comment-149568 offsite storage is necessary because books take up space and libraries continue to buy new books: where can we store it all? book browsing is changing; people can find more online. google will digitize *every book* it can find. so people will find more online and can then request the book from wherever it might be hiding. but the problem is that the kind of person who searches for books online isn't the sort who waits three weeks to get that book. I'm glad you understand the role librarians play. Because we have all the books, and if you want to see them, you'd better be nice to us. And bring us cookies. offsite storage is necessary because books take up space and libraries continue to buy new books: where can we store it all? book browsing is changing; people can find more online. google will digitize *every book* it can find. so people will find more online and can then request the book from wherever it might be hiding. but the problem is that the kind of person who searches for books online isn’t the sort who waits three weeks to get that book. I’m glad you understand the role librarians play. Because we have all the books, and if you want to see them, you’d better be nice to us. And bring us cookies.

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