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Re: Dear Mr. Baker
Daniel wrote:
>I do think his tone was a) unnecessarily haughty, suggesting that we don't know what the hell we're
>doing, and b) refused to recognize the realities facing most of us in our day-by-day professional lives.
>. . . I don't argue that the physical is valuable, it certainly is, but I can't afford what it takes to save
>everything, much less in the original. The archivist remains, like it or not, gatekeeper and selector of what
>becomes part of the historical record. It's not fair, and it gives us more power over history than what
>perhaps we deserve, but Baker & co. need to realize the role we play in saving by format is no different than
>saving by information. Stuff gets lost, and that may suck, but it's the only way to do our jobs properly.
Instead of keeping the argument "in-house," why not get this out in the open? Let's invite Mr. Baker to the SAA and ALA conferences. Extend to him a day's free registration so he can visit the vendors' exhibits and sit in on a variety of sessions. Let him see firsthand what our professional lives are all about. Put him on a panel to discuss these issues, followed by a lengthy discussion. Surely we could all benefit from this sort of "tete-a-tete," (mano a mano battle?) and perhaps Mr. Baker would become more interested in representing the other side of the story.
Margie
_____________________________________
Margaret A. Compton
Assistant Photo Curator
Special Collections - Margaret Herrick Library
Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
333 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Beverly Hills, California 90211
Phone: 310-247-3036, Ext. 266
Fax: 310-657-5193
Email: mcompton@oscars.org
http://www.oscars.org/cmps/index.html
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