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Re: Website Reliability



Just a couple of comments:

On 24 Apr 2000, at 14:05, Kurilecz, Peter wrote:

> If one did the same rating for the standard public library what percentage
> of the library would be considered suitable for academic research.  (could
> it be a case of the pot calling the kettle black?)
>
Public libraries are not intended to be solely research libraries, any
more than the Web is intended to be solely a research tool. I
believe that what the librarian was getting at is that the young
people were citing as "appropriate for research" sites that were
clearly not of reference quality, and that they had no idea what the
difference was between the two kinds of materials. Sort of as if you
cited Playboy and the Kinsey report as being equally valid
resources for sexual statistics. Or maybe Aunt Jeannie's
Jeaenealogy Newsletter (yes, this is a made up title) and American
Archivist as being equivalent resources for preservation
suggestions. ;->


> Finally I find it amazing that librarians are critical of internet filtering
> yet you can not find the hardcopy versions of the same material present in
> the library.

Most librarians are critical of internet filtering because of what
internet filters filter out in *addition* to those materials that
librarians might not find acceptable in paper in their copy.  Library
filters are simply not "smart" enough to know the difference
between quality material and junk, so can "inadvertently" disallow
access to valid and useful sites. (Ask the folks at Beaver College,
who are considering changing its name to evade internet filtering
bans.) Librarians aren't being hypocritical; they're simply
suggesting that it might be better to err on the side of too much
access rather than too little until the software designers can
develop a better means of screening.

*getting off my soapbox to finish a paper on appraisal because I'm
still a student*

Jacqueline Haun


==============================================
Jacqueline Haun
Master's Degree Student
Archives and Records Administration
and Library and Information Services Specializations
School of Information
University of Michigan
jehaun@umich.edu
==============================================

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