Comments on: Computers? In libraries?

By: What?

What? — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:53:10 +0000

Now we cannot even comment?

Thanks

By: AL

AL — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:59:54 +0000

Nota bene in re comments: Every few months the inmates come out and think they run the asylum. They don’t.

By: Chester

Chester — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:03:27 +0000

I really liked the original Annoyed Librarian. This one is a poor substitute.

By: ConfVsForum

ConfVsForum — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:14:40 +0000

Ugh, if ‘electronic forums’ are anything like message boards, blog comments or microphone blowing snore webinars, I am NOT looking forward to the future.

By: BackwardLudditeOnABlog

BackwardLudditeOnABlog — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:24:18 +0000

I’m so glad to see someone point out that the librarians most enamored of getting “technology” into libraries are the ones who think it’s news that the floppy is dead. Meanwhile, those who buried the floppies years ago and have already been through the stages of grief, who propose that the latest way of doing things just MIGHT NOT BE PERMANENT… are labeled as technology hating Luddites. I recall saying that some particular app or site (I don’t even remember which one!) was a fad, and having a “technophile” librarian smile smugly and say, “Dear, the internet is NOT A FAD.” Er… yeah.

But hey, no worries with this crack team in charge, right?

By: iHateCiL

iHateCiL — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:04:26 +0000

I went to CiL and, frankly, I never will again. From the shills like Mr. KitchenSink ResearchGuides (who is at least openly working for the vendor after 3 straight years of pitching for them) to the sad and bitchy VP Strategic Ranting from the big database vendor, the pain and suffering inflicted on innocent conference-goers is just shameful. I’m estimating that this conference goes about 5 years between new ideas.

By: andrew

andrew — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:40:07 +0000

I attended. I'm not sure I'm very well qualified to answer your question because I don't read many library blogs and have only been attending conferences for a couple years.

But I found many of the sessions informative and useful. Specifics: two Wednesday morning sessions in the Cool Tools track, a session on Tuesday on strategic partnerships, a session on Monday about digital commons. True, many of them are things that I could have found through other venues, but one of the things I find important about conferences is that they require me to step away from my every day work and focus on professional development for three days straight. That's something I have a hard time doing otherwise.

As far as the completely obvious question, that's difficult to answer as well since obvious is in the eye of the beholder. There were sessions that seemed to fit that description, but there were sessions that didn't.

I think it's a mistake to condemn an entire event in general when nearly any event of this size has things that are great and things that aren't.

By: Judas, but you can call me Jude

Judas, but you can call me Jude — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:23:46 +0000

Libraries and Librarians were at an apothesis back in the time of Jesus, in fact five of the twelve apostles, including Insane Clown Posse, were librarians. Nowadays, librarians are socialist mites who suck the city and university coffers dry with their silly programming and adherence to serving the public. When librarians finally realize that it is only their own skins that will be at the right hand of Jesus is when libraries in general will reach the zenith of glory it achieved in 507BCE at the destruction of the Temple.

By: Bill Gates

Bill Gates — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:09:12 +0000

Computers do not have a place in libraries.

They should be for books only.

If the library wants to have a separate room for teens to come play weeeee, then that could be ok. If it keeps them off the street and off drugs.

Otherwise, if you want a computer, go buy one (if you are poor, check out craigslist) and you can surely find one of your yuppie scum neighbors who has not protected their wireless connection so you can get on the Internets.

As for staff, the only thing I see them use computers for is to play solitaire and to sell city computer equipment on craigslist.

By: John Cotton Dana

John Cotton Dana — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:36:11 +0000

And I believe my eyes! After I left this world back in 1929, I thought I left the proud and relevant institution, the library, intact: something that would just continue to grow and serve the people, and what do I see? An institution purportedly represented by mind-paralyzed reptilian brained writers of swill posing as Mark Twains of the library field, but in fact, are more akin to the alcoholic hacks that write nothing better than sports column level tripe and pass it off as scathing commentary.

What would Insane Clown Posse say? This expletive is blowing my expletive, expletive mind; man its an expletive miracle, yo.

I’m going back to the grave to roll around.