Re: GEN:interesting article!?!

[Jeff Kirkpatrick <jeffkirk@CONCENTRIC.NET>]

>Hi folks ;}
>
>I would like, if you have time :] normally not! to take a look to this
>article.  It is at    http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/whatnu_4.html
>I do have empathy towards what it is saying but can't see it happen in a
>school library.
>
>any comments?

Friends,
        Bemusement Park.
        Revealed as part of "A sneak preview of the next edition of THE
READ-ALOUD HANDBOOK in 2001," the title of the above referenced article, by
none other than Jim Trelease, is,  "Reflections on the 'new' bookstores".
Advocating seeming progressive revamping of libraries, Trelease, with his
run away rhetoric, would have us and our public believe it should be the
mission of libraries and educators to literally provide coffee houses to
bring warm bodies into our libraries and media centers, completely missing
the point that mere numbers do not represent a legitimate reflection of the
success of a library's mission.  Else, why stop with coffee and couches?
Let's bring on the arcades, the dancing girls, the booze.  And get those
f@*&ing annoying shelves of books out of the way!
        Trelease's presentation (and please make the time to read it for
yourselves) is grossly irresponsible and embarrassingly naive.  It needs to
be responsibly acknowledged as such before significant damage results
through further senseless bashing of stalwart, intrepid, informed library
professionals, who happen, simply, to be doing their jobs.  My rebuttal to
Trelease will be forthcoming.  I ask those who concur to please join the
fray.
        Thanks, Claudio, for the heads up.
        Take care.

JEK

*****
        Failing to set reasoned limits means we leave ourselves pushing out
our four walls, only to have the roof collapse on top of us.

        Those who try to sell themselves and others on the idea that we may have
education without professionally managed and maintained library media
programs compare with those who mow their weeds and call the results a
manicured lawn.
        Let THEM roll in it a while, before relegating the kids to it.
        Who knows--maybe thistle teach 'em?


Jeffrey E. Kirkpatrick
Advocate for libraries and education reform, in Aurora, CO
e-mail address: jeffkirk@concentric.net
(previously jeffkirk@sni.net --through 5/22/99)

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