Re: Donating Debian CDs to libraries
At 03:48 PM 7/21/2003 -0500, Aaron J. Enright wrote:
Hello.
OK, now I'm a little confused...what exactly is the problem here?
It's kinda looking like the library is jerking you around.
Large, well funded organizations develop a culture of their own.
You've heard you can't fight city hall.
I mean, on one hand, you say that they already have a CDROM collection.
Yet, on the other hand they are claiming that they do not have the
ability to deal with the donation of software. I don't want to be
jumping to conclusions, but it sounds like they are shovelling a bunch of
bull poop your way.
No... I've described exactly what happens. Last book sale I bought a copy
of "Millman and Taub" for $1 (I think). Nobody in the process recognized
this classic electronics book and that it should go on the shelves not into
the book sale.
That really disappoints me. Most of the librarians I know are, if not
users of free/open source software, at least sympathetic to/fans of such
software. After all, we are talking about a profession that thrives on
the free flow of information.
And I'm sure their dogs like them too. The point is - librarians in large
prosperous organizations do not act the same as librarians in the abstract.
If we had librarians such as you describe, they would have bought Debian on
their own hook.
So it looks like the problem is not adding the CDROM set to their
collection and the related cataloging issues, but good old fashioned FUD?
Am I off base here?
I am continually amazed by the amount of politicking we have to do to
accomplish anything involving the city.
As far as cataloging the CDROMS is concerned, if this library is a member of
OCLC, then they should be able to copy the catalog record for Debian Potato
(which is in OCLC WorldCat...twice) and modify it for Woody. If they
aren't members of OCLC and were able to catalog the other CDROMs in their
collection then they certainly can catalog the Debian CDROM set. If
they claim otherwise then they are presenting you with a falsehood.
You library could be handling its cataloging in any number of ways (it
could be done in house, as part of a consortium, or outsourced, or some
other way not coming to mind right now), so I'm a bit reluctant to pass
judgement on them on this front. Nonetheless, I find it a bit silly that
they are having you provide the bibliographic information for the CDROMs.
They, after all, are professionals and should be able to do this.
That's all true. The fact remains I (we, the computer clubs) are asking
them to do something new ... and not currently scheduled and funded ...
furthermore, who are these uppity taxpayers, customers and clients think
they are to ask for something from the professionals who after all know best.
(Personally, I gotta tell yah, these people who know it all are a real
annoyance to those of us who do in fact know it all ..... but I digress...)
I think politicking works because of the implicit threat - if I show any
skill, I could go to the city council and cut them off at the pockets.
I really like this idea, and think I may venture down to my hometown
library and do this myself. That is, once I get a job and can afford to
buy an official cd set and have the manuals bound. ;-)
Try this at your local library - see if they're any different.
Regards, Gordon
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