Comments on: Public Libraries and Informed Citizens

By: Mr. kat

Mr. kat — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:59:20 +0000

mirriwyn, are you familiar with “piggy” in “Lord of the Flies?” You’re trying to talk reason to a mob…which is like trying to teach a pig to sing; you frustrate yourself and annoy the Pig.

Nice post, btw. If you could post within a few hours of AL, you could post the nice short summary version of the blog for all the ADD/ADHD/Lazy Whiner sufferers.

By: merriwyn

merriwyn — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:16:51 +0000

To those who seem to have missed the point of this post, it was to encourage discussion about the responsibilities of public libraries in situations like this where someone may have come in looking specifically for dodgy information. Do we just cough up what they want? Do we try to get them to evaluate their sources? Do we try to educate them? What are our responsibilities?
This is how the AL works, she raises issues in a provocative way to generate real discussion of serious issues. If you can’t handle it then don’t read it.

P.S. She specifically notes that she has no idea what actually went on at the library or how this woman got her info so get off your soap boxes already.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:04:15 +0000

And lost in this entire conversation is that calling someone an Arab or a Muslim is not tantamount to saying “Kill Him” or “Terrorist” when Senator Obama’s name is mentioned. There is nothing wrong with being either a Muslim or an Arab.

I have read the source of the woman’s information, and while my particular bias means that I don’t believe the statements, they are presented in a plausible and reasonable manner. It isn’t hate speech, and it isn’t obviously wrong, unless you believe it is wrong. I choose to believe Senator Obama rather than Terry Anderson, but that doesn’t mean that I am right either.

By: Me

Me — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:55:46 +0000

How serendipitous that an Obama campaign center opened in Shakopee the day after AL posted – Barbara Boxer was there, and hundreds of people attended.

By: Me

Me — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:55:46 +0000

How serendipitous that an Obama campaign center opened in Shakopee the day after AL posted – Barbara Boxer was there, and hundreds of people attended.

By: in the know

in the know — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:23:20 +0000

Ms. Quinnell asked specifically for a particular article that was featured on the Internet (google Obama’s Not Exactly – there will by many hits); she was subsequently provided with that article. Although we can point out to customers that sources are likely not reliable, we can’t refuse to give out the (mis)information.

By: in the know

in the know — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:23:20 +0000

By: AL

AL — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:07:43 +0000

I gave you the benefit of reading your entire comment. You won’t be missed.

By: VEDow

VEDow — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:33:57 +0000

Well, I gave you the benefit of reading your entire post. Agitated drivel.
So long.

By: kayjay

kayjay — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:02:52 +0000

I will give you the benefit of the doubt, that maybe you’ve just been working a reference desk too long yourself, but you don’t seem to have fully looked at all possible scenarios here. Did you in fact have a reference interview with the Shakopee library? I think not. Your image of these barbaric Minnesota librarians might have been changed. From your description of their library being old fashioned, I’m thinking buns and glasses on chains. Once they don their viking helmets, they’re Conan the Librarian. How can I envision all this – why I happen to be a Minnesota library school student and I know that we trained for reference interviews much how you depicted it.
(Oh yeah, and I voted for that former wrestler for governor. If you did some research on what politics and the candidates were like at the time, you might actually understand why.)