Public Address | Cafe | Legal Beagle: Somewhere* it's National Library Week

tussock

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 02:08:46 +1200

Y'all should try the Bible. It instructs people to murder their children when they talk back, murder (or forcibly marry) rape victims, keep slaves and kill them if they don't submit, kill any uncircumcised men, kill people who reject god, and unsurprisingly has been used to justify the murders of…

Ian Dalziel

Fri, 17 Apr 2015 08:12:52 +1200

Further to the Fairfax photo fiasco story, Paul Thompson is in The Press today:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/67787507/audiences-will-dictate-the-changing-face-of-news-and-current-affairs

Rich of Observationz

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 16:48:47 +1200

If you're going to put a warning sticker on Lenin, what about Adam Smith?

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 15:44:01 +1200

the one I’m least uncomfortable with is the placing of some kind of warning on the book, noting that it is linked to the deaths of at least three children
I'd imagine there are quite a few books that might need similar stickers – imagine the one for Mein Kampf,…

Russell Brown

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 13:18:06 +1200

By all means house it amongst other sociology books within a tertiary library system, but there’s something that makes me twitch about it being “endorsed” by ratepayers; and don’t try to tell me that nobody considers the presence of a book within a library system to be an endorsement of…

BenWilson

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 10:11:54 +1200

We need a Tardis for a library!

It’s called the Internet.

ETA:

I have books and photos over a 100 years old but none of my earliest ‘digital’ files or hard drives remain extant or viable.

There's not much left on papyrus either....

We've got better at backing stuff up…

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 07:40:49 +1200

captured photons escape...
Meanwhile a chunk of NZ’s – and Austalia’s – cultural heritage is being frittered away on eBay.
Imagine my surprise – that 'deal' was never going to end well, one way or the other,.
Getting rid of originals or hard copies in favour of ephemeral proprietary electronic…

Joe Wylie

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 23:02:45 +1200

Meanwhile a chunk of NZ's – and Austalia's – cultural heritage is being frittered away on eBay.

Kumara Republic

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 10:33:09 +1200

Anti-PC gone mad strikes again. (via Grauniad)

Sherman Alexie novel tops list of books Americans want censored

Rich of Observationz

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 20:33:44 +1200

the proper test Parliament should set for the Censor to apply when considering banning material

How about: "was anyone harmed who wasn't a willing, adult, participant".

Seems like enough to me, and it intrinsically cuts out anything textual or drawn.

Kumara Republic

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 18:36:48 +1200

There is the debate on whether the book should be banned. On free speech issues generally, and censorship issues more specifically, I am about as staunchly in favour of freedom of expression as it is possible to be. I am not sure there is any text I would censor, in…

Ian Dalziel

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:33:44 +1200

also available through UBS.
Gee that's where I got all my 'Underground Comix' back in the day in Chchch (and the other Uni towns) – there and Resistance and sometimes at Printed Matter Bookshop in Plimmer's Emporium (wgton) – sadly rising damp and mould in the garage they were stored…

Rich of Observationz

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:27:11 +1200

However, I'm sure there are a plethora of textbooks on explosives chemistry and engineering available to anyone who wants to order them.

Matthew Poole

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:16:49 +1200

No information resources should be excluded from libraries because of the opinions they express.

"Beating children is good for them" is an opinion.
"Beat your child using xyz implement when they do abc" is not an opinion, it's an instruction. There's a difference.

Ian Dalziel

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:15:00 +1200

Tome it may concern...
But it was a hoarder’s mentality. I was asking what if someone needs these books? instead of are they being used?
Ta for that Pete – and I do confess to being a default 'book orphanage' / hoarder – something that has been useful to various…

Matthew Poole

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:14:24 +1200

The Anarchist Cookbook was banned by the Office of Film and Literature Classification as unconditionally indecent in 1994.

Interesting. It's apparently also available through UBS. I'm concerned that such a major outlet apparently carries a banned book.

Ian Dalziel

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:54:38 +1200

But it appears that despite the red sticker they were able to retrieve the collection
Phew – thank for that...
(ta Steve, one less apocryphal regret to carry about, at this rate I could go 'clear' in a decade or two...)

I do know the demo guys got all the…

Rich of Observationz

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:53:54 +1200

don’t try to tell me that nobody considers the presence of a book within a library system to be an endorsement of the book

I'm sure many do, but they're wrong. The (US) ALA says: [[http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=interpretations&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8657|The presence of books and other resources in a library does not indicate endorsement of their…

Pete Sime

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:44:02 +1200

Do the Auckland Libraries hold a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook?

The Anarchist Cookbook was banned by the Office of Film and Literature Classification as unconditionally indecent in 1994.

Matthew Poole

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:40:00 +1200

Do the Auckland Libraries hold a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook? If not, why not? It doesn't appear to be an "illegal" book in this country (you can buy it off Fish Pond), and it has the arguable benefit of historical value as well as being an instruction manual.

__To…

Pete Sime

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:24:32 +1200

and I have in the past been shocked at some of the books sold by libraries, stuff that should still be publicly accessible – gone for a song (or less)

I'm a librarian working in collection management. Standard practice is to have a disposal policy as part of a collection…

A C Young

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:18:26 +1200

I definitely don't support banning books or even getting rid of them.

I do wonder about books with misinformation which could damage people.

I am thinking here about the recent flap in Australia about the paleo children's cookbook which, if the nutritional advice is followed, could potentially cause well-meaning parents…

Steve Curtis

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:15:42 +1200

Also, I have heard that the earthquake damaged National Library building in Chchch was demolished with all the books and photo collections etc still there

The story is here, and far more interesting than you would think
300 Manchester St

But it appears that despite the red sticker…

Steve Curtis

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:09:43 +1200

I’d read about the how to beat your children manual and vaguely supported the idea of banning i

Its often said the 'Most popular instrument in folk music is the Off Switch'

Tim Darlington

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 13:09:37 +1200

This librarian thanks you for getting what it is we do. If a book's being borrowed by our patrons and our distribution of it doesn't breach OFLC rulings, feel free to berate us for purchasing it, but keep in mind we don't give a shit, and can't if we want…

Chopper

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 12:21:34 +1200

Great post. And yes, the Statement on Intellectual Freedom is wonderful :-)

Ian Dalziel

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 11:42:01 +1200

Book 'em, Danno...
As ever, this is much longer than I thought it was going to be :-)
In keeping with the prevailing ANZAC spirit it is always 'a long long way to Tipperary'...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/AlbertFarrington-ItsaLongLongWaytoTipperary1915a.ogg

here's a couple or so links that may be relevant:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11422274
Fears the e-book revolution…

Dan Salmon

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 11:38:42 +1200

I'd read about the how to beat your children manual and vaguely supported the idea of banning it, but you've reminded me why that's a bad idea. The only downside is that we've had to pay for that book – consequently supporting the authors. I guess it would be wrong…

Graeme Edgeler

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 10:53:54 +1200

As ever, this is much longer than I thought it was going to be :-)

Public Address

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 10:53:54 +1200

Discussion from blog post.