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Re: Nicholson Baker ad infinitum



Thanks, Kenneth, for your opinion.

I am no greenhorn in the field of research...I have spent 20 years in the
museum and research field, and know my way around archival and library
research practices.

Nevertheless, while you make a good point, the angle you take -- that
intellectual properties can only be found in the text of periodicals (or
other) texts is not sound. Such opinion assumes (and forgets) the bias of
any story on the part of its writer or editor. It also denigrates whatever
perspective might be gained from having a WHOLE record, periodical or other
publication.

Such editing of content via "Let's be interested in the text only" suggests
that it is perfectly OK to strip out any kind of graphics or advertising
from a publication. So is it alright to remove the engravings from a first
edition illustrated Mark Twain work, or the illustrations in a city's social
register?

I firmly believe greater thought needs to be given to preserving intact
specimen originals as much as possible. Period. I also repeat that I
appreciate costs might prohibit full-run preservation of periodicals. But I
also submit that to, in the act of budgeting for preservation or
microfilming, not aiming high enough for budgeting a project creates a final
product of lesser quality and content. That's not theory I'm speaking of,
that's my experience.

But I do appreciate your reply.

Kevin V. Bunker
Student Assistant
California State Archives

> ----------
> From:         Kenneth Marks[SMTP:kenmarks@BELLSOUTH.NET]
> Reply To:     Kenneth Marks
> Sent:         Friday, April 13, 2001 6:23 PM
> To:   ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> Subject:      Re: Nicholson Baker ad infinitum
>
> Having worked in a research library, may I suggest you consider that
> some research libraries are more interested in the intellectual content
> of a journal than they are in the advertising?  Instead of looking for
> ads in such a research library, I would suggest you contact a research
> library which specializes or as the designation is now used "area of
> excellence" for advertising or where the library's area of excellence is
> in your field of study.  That is one of the motivating influences for
> the "Areas of Excellence", so not everyone needs to save everything.
>
> This may not please everyone, but it is a good compromise when the money
> is just not there to house an ever increasing body of intellectual
> knowledge recorded in print.
>
> Kenneth Marks
> Church Archivist,
> Raleigh, NC
> Former preservation tech.
> NCSU Libraries.
>
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>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

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Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
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Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>