This is the point of the article to me in which the direction goes to one of a critical portrayal of libraries from the authors perspective. I was just interested in the fact that Hall stated this and never really said any good about libraries. I just think that the author takes quite an extreme stance on libraries. I have never had any of the type of experience the author has had at libraries. I understand the authors complaint about the libraries but I just didn't think it was necessarily the libraries fault as much as it is the communities fault. But then again Hall was the director of American Library Association's Office for Diversity, and has a far greater insight then I do.
Showing posts with label Week Two MIS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week Two MIS. Show all posts
Monday, February 2, 2009
MIS Week 2: "Race and Place"
"I have seen evidence that libraries can and do serve the as vangaurds for social justice. But I have also been disheartened by the reification of the institutional racism and classism." (Hall 32)
MIS Week 2
From the article "Chapter 2 - Branch libraries: The heartbeat of the community" by Putnam and Feldstein:
“Clark, who has managed the Bezazian Branch for two years, talks about how the role of the librarian has changed and is now more active and engaged.”
I selected this passage because I thought it was interesting how the old stereotype of an old librarian sitting behind her desk is beginning to fade. As the article discusses, librarians are taking a much more active and involved role in their libraries. Due to the advances in technology, librarians are now required to have a diverse technological skill set in order to help older generations. The article also discusses how librarians are reaching out to schools in an attempt to strengthen the library’s presence in the community. In general , a new type of librarian is beginning to emerge; active, helpful, and attempting to spread awareness and involvement in today’s libraries.
“Clark, who has managed the Bezazian Branch for two years, talks about how the role of the librarian has changed and is now more active and engaged.”
I selected this passage because I thought it was interesting how the old stereotype of an old librarian sitting behind her desk is beginning to fade. As the article discusses, librarians are taking a much more active and involved role in their libraries. Due to the advances in technology, librarians are now required to have a diverse technological skill set in order to help older generations. The article also discusses how librarians are reaching out to schools in an attempt to strengthen the library’s presence in the community. In general , a new type of librarian is beginning to emerge; active, helpful, and attempting to spread awareness and involvement in today’s libraries.
MIS - "Race & Place"
“Our policies and rationalizations do not drive the bus, We do. Yellow palaces and white cathedrals exist because we who work in libraries create them as well as the distances between them. We want to believe that libraries are politically neutral and colorblind. To sustain this belief we close our eyes as we steer. But who gets run over in the process?”
This excerpt is from the final words of “Race & Place” which I believe closes the writing up very well. I think this quote does a great job of highlighting the problems that affect not only our libraries but our society as well. The difference between the two libraries in this story exemplifies that libraries reflect the social and economic situations of the neighborhoods they reside in. The “Yellow Palace” with its anti-theft bars and undersized rooms reflects the run-down, poorer side of town versus the great “White Cathedral” that is placed among the wealthier population. The question of, “Who gets run over in the process?” puts the reader in the shoes of someone who lives in the poorer side of town. Why should someone be restricted in opportunities and ability to access information because of their economic status? An even better point is questioning why we are closing our eyes to these problems instead of fixing them. The author’s closing points do an excellent job of opening the eyes of the reader to the many problems of our society and the importance of a Library and its impact on its surrounding neighborhood.
This excerpt is from the final words of “Race & Place” which I believe closes the writing up very well. I think this quote does a great job of highlighting the problems that affect not only our libraries but our society as well. The difference between the two libraries in this story exemplifies that libraries reflect the social and economic situations of the neighborhoods they reside in. The “Yellow Palace” with its anti-theft bars and undersized rooms reflects the run-down, poorer side of town versus the great “White Cathedral” that is placed among the wealthier population. The question of, “Who gets run over in the process?” puts the reader in the shoes of someone who lives in the poorer side of town. Why should someone be restricted in opportunities and ability to access information because of their economic status? An even better point is questioning why we are closing our eyes to these problems instead of fixing them. The author’s closing points do an excellent job of opening the eyes of the reader to the many problems of our society and the importance of a Library and its impact on its surrounding neighborhood.
Friday, January 30, 2009
"Branch Libraries: The Heartbeat of the Community"
"No longer a passive repository of books and information or an outpost of culture, quiet, and decorum in a noisy world, the new library is an active and responsive part in the community and an agent of change." page 35
I found this sentence to be particularly interesting in the reading because libraries are having to constantly change to keep up with technology and the interest of the community. My library back home when I was young, had maybe four computers and only quiet sitting areas to read, compared to the library we saw in lecture on Tuesday that had things like shops and escalators where people roamed around for pure entertainment, some not looking at books at all. It is interesting to see how different libraries vary because of the interests of the people who go there. Before this class I had never taken the time to think about what technology, like the internet, did to the library environment and how it could completely change the role of a librarian.
I found this sentence to be particularly interesting in the reading because libraries are having to constantly change to keep up with technology and the interest of the community. My library back home when I was young, had maybe four computers and only quiet sitting areas to read, compared to the library we saw in lecture on Tuesday that had things like shops and escalators where people roamed around for pure entertainment, some not looking at books at all. It is interesting to see how different libraries vary because of the interests of the people who go there. Before this class I had never taken the time to think about what technology, like the internet, did to the library environment and how it could completely change the role of a librarian.
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