Rachel has voiced an epiphany I had many years ago when my oldest was in high school - When we relied on print or broadcast media for our information it was a much more level playing field. Whether you were in a rich school district or a poorer one, everyone was using the same textbooks. Technology is now much more expensive and not everyone can afford it, which really leaves those who cannot afford computers, smartphones, etc. at a disadvantage which grows larger each year. This is where it is so important for libraries to step in and fill the gap, but the question is, "Where is all the money for that going to come from?"
Eileen Polk, Librarian Prentis Memorial Library Temple Beth El Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 -----Original Message----- From: hasafran-boun...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu [mailto:hasafran-boun...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu] On Behalf Of Aaron Kuperman Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 11:24 AM To: Rachel Haus Cc: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu Subject: Re: [ha-Safran] Bookless libraries Should we panic that our libaries lack scrolls? Can you imagine a good library without any scrolls? What about tablets (the small clay ones with squiggling staff scratched on them - probably what Avraham used to use)? Aaron This is not an official policy statement from my employer (which, BTW, does have both scrolls and tablets though we do lack native speakers of sumerian to help catalog them). On Wed, 23 Jan 2013, Rachel Haus wrote: > I read the article, as well as the couple comments below it and one really > resonated. While it seems as if everyone has a updated computer, tablet, etc, > not everyone does because not everyone can afford one. Our family of 5 > currently shares a single computer because we cannot afford more. While we > migtht save up for an extra computer, what about the family with far more > limited resources? The comment made at the end of the article suggested that those without the means for technology might love to read at home, but would be out of luck should all reading material be converted to digital form. Tablets might be lent out, but small libraries in small communities like mine can't possibly afford even to offer ebooks, let alone to invest in tablets. I see a disturbing class divide here for basic access to knowledge. Rachel Haus Library Director Congregation of Moses Library Kalamazoo MI rhaus_...@yahoo.com >________________________________ > From: Emily Goldberg <exgoldb...@gmail.com> >To: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu >Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2013 3:39 PM >Subject: [ha-Safran] Bookless libraries > > >An interesting article: > > >http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/bookmarks/2013/01/libraries_go_mostly_bookless.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2 > > > >Is this the future for Jewish libraries, particularly synagogue libraries? > > >Emily Goldberg >Mowshowitz Library >Hillcrest Jewish Center >Flushing, NY >exgoldb...@gmail.com >__ >Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author >and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) >================================== >Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: >Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu >To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: >https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran >Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu >Ha-Safran Archives: >Current: >http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html >Earlier Listserver: >http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html >AJL HomePage http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ >-- >Hasafran mailing list >Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu >https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran > > > Aaron Wolfe Kuperman Library of Congress, ABA USPL, Law Cataloging Section This is NOT an official communication from the Library of Congress. __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran