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From: "PUBYAC: PUBlic librarians serving Young Adults and Children" <pubyac@prairienet.org>
To: "PUBYAC: PUBlic librarians serving Young Adults and Children" <pubyac@prairienet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 11:01 PM
Subject: PUBYAC digest 1208
PUBYAC Digest 1208
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) preschool storytime letter to parents
by Lorraine Getty <lgetty1969@yahoo.com>
2) Re: Stumper - African folktale?
by "BALIS/PLS/SVLS Reference Center, SF Branch"
<srcsf@mindspring.com>
3) stumper--Golden alphabet book
by vanswolc@SLS.LIB.IL.US
4) Harry Potter #5 questions
by "Cathy Chesher" <cchesher@monroe.lib.mi.us>
5) Updated: Useful Sources on CIPA prepared by Nancy Kranich,
by "Don Wood" <dwood@ala.org>
6) Galleys/Advance copies
by Erika Burge <eburge@esls.lib.wi.us>
7) Purse Snatchings
by "Carol Chatfield" <cchatfield@myriad.middlebury.edu>
8) Re: Hawafena/Singing ad
by Marcia Schaffer <schaffma@oplin.org>
9) Unaccompanied Juveniles in the Library
by Lisa Coker <lcoker@hpl.lib.tx.us>
10) Stumper--bedtime around the world
by Jennifer Baker <jbaker93711@yahoo.com>
11) a gentleman's agreement
by Patti Wyatt <pslatenwyatt@yahoo.com>
12) Unaccompanied Juveniles - Addendum
by Lisa Coker <lcoker@hpl.lib.tx.us>
13) Patriot's Day storytime (preschool)
by "Mary Ann Gilpatrick" <MGilpatrick@ci.walla-walla.wa.us>
14) Computer hours
by Brenda Fay <Brenda.Fay@mcfls.org>
15) Re: Hawafena/Singing ad
by Larissa <bkluvr2002@yahoo.com>
16) Mentally handicapped in children's room
by Bonita Kale <Bonita.Kale@euclidlibrary.org>
17) Re: Eye patches
by "Sherry Rothberg" <srothber@ansernet.rcls.org>
18) RE: Re touchy question - the group in question is NOT being
by JDICKEY <JDICKEY@cuyahoga.lib.oh.us>
19) RE: Request to moderator re: touchy question + response
by "Cybele Cappelli" <ccappelli@poklib.org>
20) Re touchy question - olive branch
by Jennifer Baker <jbaker93711@yahoo.com>
--------------------------------------
From: Lorraine Getty [mailto:lgetty1969@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:21 PM
To: PUBYAC
Subject: preschool storytime letter to parents
I will be providing storytimes for 3-5 years olds this
fall, and I'm aware that some of you give parents
written guidelines concerning the details of your
program and behavioral expectations (both on the part
of the children and the parent). I would very much
appreciate seeing some examples of this letter.
Please email me directly at lgetty1969@yahoo.com.
Thank you!
Lorraine Getty
Forsyth Public Library
Forsyth, IL
--------------------------------------
From: BALIS/PLS/SVLS Reference Center, SF Branch
[mailto:srcsf@mindspring.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:21 PM
To: Pubyac
Subject: Re: Stumper - African folktale?
**Many thanks** to Penny Peck, Vicky Smith, Sharon Levine, Gladys Seaman,
Judy Looby, and Kerry Reed for identifying the story about the monster who
steals the animals' soup/stew as _Vingananee and the tree toad_, by Verna
Aardema. You guys are wonderful! Thanks so much for your help!!
- Catherine Sylvia
BALIS/PLS/SVLS System Reference Center, SF Branch
c/o San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street, 3rd floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
tel: (415) 552-5042 fax: (415) 552-5067
email: srcsf@mindspring.com
--------------------------------------
From: vanswolc@SLS.LIB.IL.US [mailto:vanswolc@SLS.LIB.IL.US]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:21 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: stumper--Golden alphabet book
Dear Great Brain,
I have a friend, in his 30s, who is trying to find a book he read as a
child,
so it would probably have been in the 1960s. He thinks it may have been a
Golden book, about 4x6", with a white cover. It was an alphabet book
which
started "A is for Avenue with cars whizzing by; B is for Bus Driver who
sits
so
high." I have searched our library system's online catalogue, tried
Google,
A
to Zoo--it seems Golden books may be hard to find. If anyone can help me
with
this stumper, please email me. Thanks in advance for your help.
Constance VanSwol
vanswolc@sls.lib.il.us
--------------------------------------
From: Cathy Chesher [mailto:cchesher@monroe.lib.mi.us]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:22 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Harry Potter #5 questions
Hello,
Does anyone have trivia questions for Harry Potter and the
Order of the
Phoenix that they would be willing to share with me? I am having a Harry
Potter Jeopardy program later this month. I have questions from books 1-4,
but not five (didn't think to write questions as I read The Order . . .)
I will re-read the book if I need to in order to write questions.
Thanks for the help
Cathy Chesher
Youth Services Librarian
Adrian Public Library
143 E. Maumee St.
Adrian, MI 49221
517-265-2265
cchesher@monroe.lib.mi.us
--------------------------------------
From: Don Wood [mailto:dwood@ala.org]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:22 PM
To: member-forum@ala.org
Subject: Updated: Useful Sources on CIPA prepared by Nancy Kranich,
The Useful Sources was updated on September 8, 2003
The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
The American Library Association v. the United States of America
Useful Sources Prepared by Nancy Kranich
Chair, American Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee
http://tinyurl.com/mc99
Don Wood
Program Officer/Communications
American Library Association, Office for Intellectual Freedom
50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
1-800-545-2433, ext. 4225; Fax: 312-280-4227; dwood@ala.org
http://www.ala.org/oif
--------------------------------------
From: Erika Burge [mailto:eburge@esls.lib.wi.us]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:22 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Galleys/Advance copies
Hi All --
I just had a woman who works in a local bookstore donate a bagful of new
books. They look great, except that many of them are advance copies.
I'm
curious to hear what others have done with such donations -- add them to
the collection, add them to the book sale pile, or some other option. My
director says that this is new -- and we don't have any official way to
figure out how to proceed with these books. For those of you who have
experience with this -- how do you deal with such donations?
Thanks --
Erika
Erika Burge
Children's Librarian
Cedarburg Public Library
W63 N583 Hanover Avenue
Cedarburg, WI 53012
--------------------------------------
From: Carol Chatfield [mailto:cchatfield@myriad.middlebury.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:22 PM
To: PUBYAC@prairienet.org
Subject: Purse Snatchings
We have signs on several tables with a gentle reminder that patrons should
not leave purses and other valuables unattended. We don't specific say
they
might be stolen, but we do say that we are not responsible for such items.
We have lost a few items taken out of coat pockets, some backpacks and other
purse-type bags left at tables, and even once someone took a fanny pack that
a day care carried which was clearly marked First Aid. Conversely, people
walk off all the time and leave pretty nice laptops on tables, even at
closing, and so far none of them have disappeared.
Carol Chatfield
Ilsley Public Library
Middlebury, VT 05753
--------------------------------------
From: Marcia Schaffer [mailto:schaffma@oplin.org]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:22 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Re: Hawafena/Singing ad
Hey1 I just heard /saw it yesterday and love it BUT if only they had taken
the $$ it cost and put it to a really good use - like library funding!!
At 04:06 PM 9/8/2003 CDT, you wrote:
>Hi folks. Just wondered if you'd all seen the Clairol Herbal Essences ad
>after p. 90 in the Oct. 2003 Teen People. It's the first I've seen, or I
>should say "heard" like this. When you open it, its a singing ad.
I'm
>just wondering if this is the wave of the future and if our periodicals
>and reading areas are destined to be filled with the sounds of these...
>Take a look...
>Laura
>
>Laura Gruninger, Children's Librarian
>Mercer County Library System, Lawrence HQ
>Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
>lgruning@mcl.org
>
>
Smiles,
Marcia ;)
--------------------------------------
From: Lisa Coker [mailto:lcoker@hpl.lib.tx.us]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:22 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Unaccompanied Juveniles in the Library
Hello All!
We have a healthy-sized group of preteens as well as teens who use the
library some evenings. Most come intending to study as the crowds are
largest the evening before an assignment is due, but stay creating more
of a "mall" atmosphere than a library atmosphere. The
director is
looking at different methods of crowd control.
She is investigating the possibility of requiring all unaccompanied
juveniles to have a library card in their possession in order to enter
the library. By juveniles, she means the teens as well as preteens -
9
- 17.
Does anyone do this?
Reply directly to me and I'll post the replies.
Thanks!
Lisa
Lisa Coker
Sterling Municipal Library
Wilbanks Ave
Baytown Tx 77520
--------------------------------------
From: Jennifer Baker [mailto:jbaker93711@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:22 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Stumper--bedtime around the world
hello!
i am trying to find a book that i remember seeing a
while ago. it's a picture book. i think the overall
subject may have been bedtime but the theme was like
"what's going on in china while i'm asleep"
the book went around the world showing different
families and children doing various activities at the
same "time" but while one child is getting ready for
school another in another country was getting ready
for bed.
any bells?
please respond to jbaker93711@yahoo.com
TIA,
~j.
~jenniferbaker
fresno co. public library
"I may not be an explorer or an adventurer or a treasure seeker or a gun
fighter Mr. O' Connell, but I am proud of what I am." "And what is
that?" "I
am a librarian!"
~ Evelyn, The Mummy
--------------------------------------
From: Patti Wyatt [mailto:pslatenwyatt@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:23 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: a gentleman's agreement
Over this past weekend I was pleased to purchase "A
Gentleman's Agreement" on DVD. Based on a book by
Laura Hobson, the premise is that the existence of
bigotry can be as simple as allowing the intolerance
of others to remain unchallenged. With the discussion
of inclusion/disabilities/discomfort over the past
several days, the movie was a very timely reminder.
I receive the listserve in digest form. I always read
the full digest before responding to anyone because I
want to be sure the answer hasn't already been
covered. If you are receiving individual postings,
you don't have that solution at your disposal.
Although all of our points are valid and we are within
the parameters of the listserve to present them, I
wonder if so many responses directed in a negative
fashion are necessary.
Patti Wyatt
Youth Services Librarian
Mitchell Community Public Library
Mitchell, Indiana
--------------------------------------
From: Lisa Coker [mailto:lcoker@hpl.lib.tx.us]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:23 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Unaccompanied Juveniles - Addendum
To the previously sent post, I intended to add:
Most of our young patrons complete assignments but many come to just
"hang out" with friends creating more of a "mall"
atmosphere. While
personally I'm thrilled to have teens in the library and want to ensure
that all feel welcome and become life-long library users, the director
is looking at different methods for dealing with teens who are
disrupting other (including teen and pre-teen) patrons. Hence her idea
of requiring library cards in their possession.
This is a good problem to have (too many patrons) but as the situation
is so intermittent, it's difficult to plan programs for them. Any
advice?
Thanks!
Lisa
Lisa Coker
Sterling Municipal Library
Wilbanks Ave
Baytown Tx 77520
--------------------------------------
From: Mary Ann Gilpatrick [mailto:MGilpatrick@ci.walla-walla.wa.us]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:23 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Patriot's Day storytime (preschool)
Thanks especially to Jennifer S., Amy W., and Richard Bryce for some
wonderful suggestions.
My compiled list for this Thursday's storytime includes:
Brooklyn Pops Up
Drummond, Allan; Liberty
Lobel; On the Day Peter ...
(follow by singing "East Side, West Side")
Munro; Inside-Outside Book of NYC (j917.471 here)
Myers & Myers; Harlem (j811.5 here)
Swift; Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge (GW bridge, in
fact)
have on display: Eloise, Fireboat, Journey Around New York from A to Z
(I don't have); Curious George in the Big City (I don't have); You Can't
Take A Balloon Into the Metropolitan Museum (which I love but it
wouldn't read well; anything else you have covering NYC.
A Patriotic Theme or American Legends theme. Display 9-11 books
judiciously. My kids are far away from New York and haven't experienced
the events firsthand, but will be curious about the flags at half mast,
etc. on Thursday.
Mary Ann Gilpatrick
Walla Walla Public Library
mgilpatrick@ci.walla-walla.wa.us
--------------------------------------
From: Brenda Fay [mailto:Brenda.Fay@mcfls.org]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:23 PM
To: PUBYAC@prairienet.org
Subject: Computer hours
Hello all,
I just had what I consider to be a strange request from a parent and wanted
to get some feedback from all of you.
The aforementioned parent came in to ask me if we would ever have special
"computer hours" in the children's library. It seems that her daughter
only
wants to use the computers when they come to the library and doesn't want to
sit and share books with her mother anymore. The parent asked if we would
consider having our computers only "open" at certain times of the day,
because it would be during those times that she would come to the library
with her daughter.
I must say I was amazed at her request. I told her that our 3 children's
CD-ROM and Internet computers (which are available anytime during library
hours) are very popular and it wouldn't seem fair to only have them open at
certain times of the day. Some families without a home PC come to the
library especially to use our computers. I also told her that some parents
simply don't allow their children to use the CD-ROM computers when they
visit the library. "We are here to look for books", is something that
I hear
at least 2-3 times a week. Parents have the right and responsibility to
regulate and monitor their children's behavior and time in the library. I
guess I was so surprised by her request because it seemed like she wanted
the library to do that job for her instead. After talking with her she
indicated that if we continued with our current computer policy she wouldn't
be able to come to the library with her daughter anymore.
Have any of you had parent requests similar to this?
Brenda Fay
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Brenda Fay
Children's Librarian
North Shore Library
Glendale, WI 53217
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"If you drink too much from a bottle marked 'poison', it is almost certain
to disagree with you, sooner or later." ~Alice's adventures in Wonderland
--------------------------------------
From: Larissa [mailto:bkluvr2002@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:23 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Re: Hawafena/Singing ad
Okay... I'm either confused or dissapointed. I can't
find said ad in our copy of Teen People (Oct. 2003).
Is it a pull-out card, like the "posters" they
include? If so, our may have been lifted.
Oh well, just digging for more info!
:) Larissa, lurking librarian
--------------------------------------
From: Bonita Kale [mailto:Bonita.Kale@euclidlibrary.org]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:23 PM
To: pubyac
Subject: Mentally handicapped in children's room
Charlotte Rabbitt writes: The caretakers come to browse and pay very
little attention to the disabled or challenged patrons.
Apart from the storytime situation, which I know nothing of, this is an
ongoing situation in our library, with children as well as mentally
handicapped people. We give all the caregivers the same routine: they have
to stay with the child (or adult) while the child (or adult) is in the
children's room. If they are going to browse in adult videos, they will
have to keep their charges with them.
We sign up children and handicapped adults for the computer; we treat them
pretty much alike, actually. Try to be polite and friendly, but insist
that
they be properly cared for.
I started out all shy and meek. Hah! Now I'm a nasty old lady, and I
have
no trouble at all saying, "I'm sorry, but he's not allowed in the
children's
room by himself; you need to stay with him or take him with you."
Bonita
--------------------------------------
From: Sherry Rothberg [mailto:srothber@ansernet.rcls.org]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:24 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Re: Eye patches
I wore an eyepatch in kindergarten; I had amblyopia, or lazy eye. Children
teased me and they were afraid of me. I wish I could name a book...maybe
someone could write one. They say that 5 percent of all children have
amblyopia.
Nice quotes!
Sherry Rothberg
Children's Librarian
Finkelstein Memorial Library
Spring Valley, New York
--------------------------------------
From: JDICKEY [mailto:JDICKEY@cuyahoga.lib.oh.us]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:24 PM
To: 'pubyac@prairienet.org'
Subject: RE: Re touchy question - the group in question is NOT being
Scene: a quiet (relatively speaking) library
A rather large autistic teen begins lumbering through the children's area,
bellowing.
Patron: Well, I never....!
Librarian: (with a smile) We're practicing kindness and tolerance today!
Thanks for some gentle but powerful words, LGD!
Janet Dickey
Teen Services Assistant
Mayfield Regional Library
Cuyahoga County Public Library
(suburban Cleveland, OH)
<jdickey@cuyahoga.lib.oh.us>
-----Original Message-----
From: LGD [mailto:gabeny13@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 5:07 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Re: Re touchy question - the group in question is NOT being
...."discomfort with diversity.."! Oh my god. I have never
heard of
prejudice being couched in such PC terms. Discomfort? I am
weary of this
discussion but each time I read one more e mail it just amazes me what
people are willing to defend. Diversity covers an awful lot of territory,
from sexual persuasion to racial make-up. To be uncomfortable in some way
with diversity makes ME uncomfortable about where one's attitude is coming
from. Sometimes other people are very good a picking up on the fact that
it
is possible it is YOUR discomfort that is the issue. I hope we can
lay
this to rest and move on. However, I leave the discussion with the distinct
impression of a librarian who personally finds these 'people' distasteful.
People have many times mentioned a rather disruptive challenged patron to
me. But it would NEVER occur to me that removing this patron was the
solution. I have always mentioned his love of the library, tried to keep
him calm etc., and diffused whatever
was happening. I have always looked at it from the viewpoint that
the
solution was gently steering people towards some kindness and tolerance. I
think that difference in viewpoints on how the situation could be handled is
what made people upset. For many of us we would NEVER consider asking
someone to leave because they are different in a way that makes others
uncomfortable. The fact that you mentioned that as a solution pointed up
the difference. The 'discomfort with diversity' kind of came thru.
--------------------------------------
From: Cybele Cappelli [mailto:ccappelli@poklib.org]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:24 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: RE: Request to moderator re: touchy question + response
Jamie - Wonderful response to the whole debate. Thank you for your
thoughtfulness.
Cybele Cappelli
YA librarian
Adriance Memorial Library
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pubyac@prairienet.org
[mailto:owner-pubyac@prairienet.org]On
Behalf Of Jamie Holtsclaw
Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 12:17 PM
To: Pubyac
Subject: Request to moderator re: touchy question + response
Dear Moderator,
I would like to request that some of the responses - in
particular those
to Jennifer Baker re:touchy subject - be forwarded to her and not posted to
all to see. While some people are trying to be genuinely helpful, others
are writing in anger and are no doubt causing Jennifer a great deal of
heartache. It's difficult enough to hear of your "shortcomings"
one-on-one,
but to know that an entire group of your colleagues is reading these
messages is much worse.
I do understand that the basis of PUBYAC is to help one
another with
ideas and suggestions. I am wondering if posting all of these replies is
helpful. Certainly, some people have handicapped family members and
friends
and they are very emotional about the subject. Degrading Jennifer isn't
going to help her feel more comfortable with the situation. Constructive
comments and reassurance, like the ones sent by Anita, Kelly, Cindi, Sam,
Aaron, Wanda Peterson, and Karen-Marie, will be helpful to Jennifer. She
already knew if was a "touchy subject" or she would have used a
different
subject heading.
If someone sincerely disagrees with another person on PUBYAC
- to the
point of writing a hateful message - wouldn't it be more appropriate to send
it only the that person rather than to get the whole of PUBYAC geared up?
As professionals, we should respond professionally to our peers and to those
who are using this site appropriately. Jennifer was using this site
appropriately. So, how professional is it to respond so harshly to her?
Would the writer have done that if they were face-to-face with Jennifer or
were they merely shooting off an "I'll show her" response from the
safety
and anonymity of their computer.
I'm not suggesting censorship, just professional courtesy.
P.S. If this is posted and anyone would like to "flame" me,
please do me
the courtesy of responding directly to me.
Jamie Holtsclaw
Children's Librarian
Greensburg Public Library
jholtscl@in-span.net
www.greensburglibrary.org
[Moderator responds:.
Well, since this question is posted to the listserve and addressed to me, I
will make reply:
I appreciate that someone recently said that PUBYAC is a gentle listserve,
and generally, I find that's true. Jamie is right, we are professionals,
and generally, we act like it. We are in a profession that values deep
thought, creativity, cleverness and fun. The postings on this listserve
reflect that. We are also in a profession that fights every day for
intellectual freedom. I've often wished that we could mount a sign above
our doors, "Beware, all ye who enter here" because patrons need to
know that
the library is not a safe place. Knowledge is not safe. That's what freedom
is all about. Freedom doesn't mean you're safe; freedom means that you're
free. I once lived in a country where the people had been forced to stop
speaking freely. I was talking in a coffeeshop with my language teacher, and
he very matter-of-factly said that people could not criticize their own
government or they would be taken away by that government. They were
simply
not allowed to speak out about the corruption, the money being stolen from
the people, and the crumbling infrastructure. My American guts writhed at
this and I asked my teacher, "How could you stand that?"
"Oh," he said,
shrugging, "you got used to it." His complacency simply repulsed
me. I
could hardly believe someone would give over a basic right like that. And
that's why Ninoy Aquino died on the tarmac--he didn't give up the right.
He
spoke out and he was not safe.
Now, Jennifer had the courage to ask the question. She even labeled the
subject heading "Touchy question," which should be the first clue that
she's
venturing onto shaky ground. She willingly opened herself up to any comments
that people may throw at her. Touchy questions are like that. Touchy
questions are not safe. And in their replies, several members have also
opened themselves up to criticism by their peers. Those replies were also
not safe. If you post something touchy onto a listserve, you are going to
get a reaction. As soon as I saw Jennifer's original posting, I knew that it
was going to set off a firestorm. I sent her an e-mail telling her to
brace
herself, because I know that touchy questions light fires. But I also
thanked her for asking the question, because it is in dealing with the
touchy questions where we grow the most.
Hateful speech, like a soliloquy poem, actually says much more about the
speaker than it does about the topic. A person will be judged by their
words. Jamie asks "How professional is it to respond so harshly to
her? "
I will leave that to you all to decide.
I do make decisions about postings. I have made it clear from the beginning
that on PUBYAC I do not post book reviews (there are other venues for this).
No "I'm looking for a job" queries, although I always post all job
openings
messages. If a message is completely off topic, having nothing to do with
libraries, I generally consider that is accidental and it is not posted.
Replies to Stumpers and Bibliography requests should always go to the
original sender; this is made clear in your Welcome file, and I occasionally
remind you; I do not forward them--they are deleted. I will continue to
stop spam, which is becoming more and more of a problem. But all these
items are not discussion topics. They are not "the issues" for
which PUBYAC
was begun in the first place.
In the ten years I've been moderating PUBYAC, I have been asked on several
occasions if I wouldn't please stop a discussion that's been going on too
long, that was beating a dead horse, that was too harsh. I have also found
myself rolling my eyes when yet another person who hasn't read all the
replies jumps into a fray and writes the same thing yet again. However, my
answer has always been that you all are professionals. I don't have to
play
policeman on this listserve as far as discussion goes. You are all adults
and you have the choice to speak conciliatory speech, hateful speech, or
helpful speech. You police yourselves. And while we all would hope
that
PUBYACkers practice professional courtesy, stopping anyone's words about an
issue is indeed censorship.
Jamie, I hope you don't see my reply as a flame. It is not. It is
simply a
reply to a question that has never been asked of me publicly in a PUBYAC
posting. So, as your moderator, I am telling you my stand on stopping
discussion: I won't do it. I don't need to. You guys do it for me.
At your service,
Shannon VanHemert
PUBYAC Moderator
pyowner@pallasinc.com ]
--------------------------------------
From: Jennifer Baker [mailto:jbaker93711@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 6:24 PM
To: pubyac@prairienet.org
Subject: Re touchy question - olive branch
--- Wanda Peterson <wandasway2003@yahoo.com>
wrote:
> Since it is my understanding that the purpose of
posting a topic on a public board like this is for
people to give their opinions, and a number of other
people have certainly done so, it seems to me I can
give my opinion if I want to
---i agree completely! if librarians aren't going to
defend free speech who will?
i think a lot of us get annoyed with each other on
occasion because of differing opinions but nothing
annoys me more than someone telling another person
they don't have a right to say something or post
something to list. (i guess the irony here is that
that's an opinion too and to be a true supporter of
free speech we have to support the people that say we
don't have a right to our own opinions...hmmmm. now
i'm getting things completely screwy)
my point though is that no one ever said that we had
to agree with one another. part of what makes this
list valuable is the conflicting opinions. as long as
we can all try our best to be respectful i think
that's the best we can do.
that said, i respectfully stand by the statement that
discomfort with differences makes us human not
bigoted. people are flawed. definitely some more than
others and i'll even include myself in that bunch on
some issues. in the end though it's not recognizing
our shortcomings that is the real problem. i can
tolerate even the most difficult people if it seems
they are making an effort to better themselves. so i
hope all of you can tolerate me as well. even if that
means agreeing to disagree.
~j.
~jenniferbaker
fresno co. public library
"I may not be an explorer or an adventurer or a treasure seeker or a gun
fighter Mr. O' Connell, but I am proud of what I am." "And what is
that?" "I
am a librarian!"
~ Evelyn, The Mummy
End of PUBYAC Digest 1208
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