[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Baker/Newspapers=one slice of the pie



Title: RE: Baker/Newspapers=one slice of the pie

Excellent points on the Baker, his argument is strongest if you only discuss newspaper preservation.  The points he makes are weakened when you broaden the discussion to include committing resources to other material instead of or in addition to newspapers as Geri has done below.  To follow up on the institutional angle Geri raises - has anyone seen Baker criticize the newspapers themselves for not preserving their runs, what about photo morgues?  Baker criticizes the only institutions in society which attempt to do anything to preserve newspapers, by saying libraries are not doing it right

The passages in which he describes the joy of flipping through the paper copies of the newspapers suggests that his technical criticisms of microfilming are not genuine.  IMHO he would not be satisfied with better microfilm.  At the heart of his criticism is an A Priori argument: saving the "originals" is good, libraries discard them = therefore libraries are bad.

Baker gives Librarians, Archivists,and Records Managers much to think about... but right now I am thinking about how much higher Baker's profile as a writer is after attacking national institutions like the LOC and the NYPL hmmmm....

Anybody hear much about Baker BEFORE his crusade began?