For those new to the Forum and not familiar with the postings of
Albert Henderson, please look at the archive (this is merely an
example; there are many, many more):
Invoking Cloture (Again) on "Serials Crisis = Library Underfunding"
http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/0920.html
The BOAI developments are simply too important to allow this Forum to
be drawn, yet again, into this already too frequently rehearsed
refrain.
Stevan Harnad
On Wed, 20 Feb 2002, Tabah Albert wrote:
> Mr. Henderson makes some good points in his arguments, but I have a lot of
> difficulty in accepting his parting shots at libraries.
>
> It is true that many universities underfund their libraries. It is also true
> that "library spending [is] divorced unfairly from R&D budgeting". But that
> is hardly the libraries' fault. There is something incongruent (and rather
> unfair) in the arguments that connect the lack of resources with those
> suffering from them. In the case of libraries they are not connected, and
> often despite their best efforts librarians just don't have enough political
> clout to effect change.
>
> Imagine the poor and hungry asking for help and we telling them:
> Well, too bad if you are poor; go ahead and starve to death.
>
> Such an attitude doesn't wash.
>
>
> Albert N. Tabah
>
> École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l'information
> Université de Montréal
> CP 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville
> Montréal, Québec, Canada
> H3C 3J7
> albert.tabah_at_umontreal.ca
>
Received on Wed Feb 20 2002 - 16:29:34 GMT