LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Dorothy
Perhaps I have missed something, but I think that Amazon is handling your complaint
admirably. You got a personal letter with logical justifications, an acknowledgment
of company error, and an apology.
Ruth Swan
Automatic digest processor wrote:
> There are 12 messages totalling 565 lines in this issue.
>
> Topics in this special issue:
>
> 1. Rebuttal sent to Jim Trelease re: A library's function and pu rpose
> 2. Gen: Harry Potter Readings banned in NZ
> 3. GEN: Humor
> 4. e-mail and viruses
> 5. GEN: book title needed
> 6. subject lines--please!
> 7. TARGET: bibliographic utilities
> 8. Elem: Caldecott Concentration
> 9. alternatives to Harry Potter
> 10. Question About Alternatives to Harry Potter
> 11. Customer Sevice
> 12. Barbie
>
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> All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 08:38:09 -0500
> From: "Roe,Kevin" <Kevin.Roe@FWCS.K12.IN.US>
> Subject: Re: Rebuttal sent to Jim Trelease re: A library's function and pu rpose
>
> OUCH! This whole thread takes me back many years to the infamous "Give em
> what they want" article that was required reading in collection development
> classes at the time. The article had the audacity to suggest that maybe we
> should actually provide students with books that would FIRST attract them to
> the library where we could THEN introduce them to other , more "PC" books,
> i.e. real literature. A few years ago everybody was whining about the
> Goosebumps books; what will be next?
>
> To me the whole point of Trelease's article points out a trend in American
> society today: it must be appealing and draw attention to be worth anything.
> Sad, but rather than sit around and grouse about the "sad state of affairs"
> why don't we see if there's anything on that bandwagon that we can use to
> our advantage? A few thoughts of my own:
>
> 1. A former colleague of mine (well-respected and with a dynamic middle
> school library program) was always reminding our media personnel that we
> must make ourselves indispensable to the staff and students. What a
> thought! You mean, actually make our libraries someplace kids would want to
> come to? What heresy! Turns out she was right! Our district cut our high
> school staffs back to 1 1/2 FTE from 2 a few years back, and it was because
> of the perception that they weren't really all that necessary, especially
> since classroom teachers were in such demand. The cutback has affected all
> of our schools except the one whose teachers put up such a fuss that the
> school decided that the library was the last place to cut staff. You
> guessed it: that school was recently renovated, is dynamic and heavily used
> and looks very appealing to everyone!
>
> 2. Last year, while on vacation in Houston, I went to a local
> "superbookstore" (Barnes and Noble I think) and noticed a number of high
> school students in the store quietly sipping drinks and sitting at tables...
> studying! Not reading the books in the store but actually studying! My
> first thought was "why are they here and not at the library"? Could it be
> that the bookstore was an inviting, well-lit, trendy-looking well-decorated
> place that they actually enjoy coming to? I wondered what affect could be
> had if we started thinking of our libraries in the same way. After all,
> what is really wrong with that? We would still be offering the same great
> services (for free to boot!), but doing it in a way that would actually make
> people enjoy their visit.
>
> Sorry Jeff. I'm not advocating changing our function and/or purpose for
> existing, but if we're going to take such a fervent stand against any kind
> of change, we will die. Function and purpose won't mean much then, will it?
> Let's do something radical. Let's survey our students to find out why they
> don't use the library more. Are we afraid of their responses? The idea
> that patrons will come simply because we are THE LIBRARY is a terribly
> close-minded and death-inducing idea. Let's focus on improving our services
> AND our look, if that's what it takes to draw people in. What's wrong with
> offering a comfortable couch or chair to sit in, along with something to
> drink, and maybe even some quiet background music? I know, I know, were
> libraries and we don't DO THAT! But... maybe we should!
>
> Have a great day everyone!
>
> Kevin S. Roe
> Supervisor, Media Processing
> Fort Wayne Community Schools
> 1511 Catalpa Street
> Fort Wayne, IN 46802
> 219-425-7271 (voice)
> 219-425-7776 (fax)
> Kevin.Roe@fwcs.k12.in.us <mailto:Kevin.Roe@fwcs.k12.in.us>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 09:36:37 -0400
> From: "Carolyn I. Gundrum" <webmistress@MIKIDS.COM>
> Subject: Gen: Harry Potter Readings banned in NZ
>
> Hi All !\
>
> Interesting article from Reuters:
>
> Harry Potter Readings Banned July
> 27, 2000
>
> AUCKLAND (Reuters) - A New Zealand school has banned teachers from reading
> aloud extracts of the resoundingly successful Harry Potter book series
> after a complaint
> about the books' references to wizardry and magic. Auckland's Birkenhead
> Primary
> School sent letters to parents advising installments from a series of
> four books would nolonger be read aloud, but pupils could still read the
> books and discuss them in class, the New Zealand Herald reported Thursday.
>
> At least they didn't ban the books!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Carolyn
>
> Carolyn I Gundrum, B.Ed. (UBC) M.A. (WMU)
> The "Resourceress"
> Waukazoo Elementary School,
> Holland, MI USA 49424
> Adjunct Professor GVSU
>
> 'Links to Learn' is a free, educational website http://www.mikids.com
> *Best Library Web Site* School Library Journal - April 2000 issue -
> *Ranked in the top 5 on Snap.com* - Harry Potter Website at mikids.com -
> May-July 2000
>
> webmistress@mikids.com
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 08:43:23 -0500
> From: Konnie Wightman <konda_wightman@EDUC8.ORG>
> Subject: GEN: Humor
>
> Hi,
> I don't know if this has appeared on the list before, but thought it might
> cause some chuckles for those who haven't seen it:
>
> Question: How many listserv subscribers does it take to change a light bulb?
> Answer: 578
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> 1 to change the light bulb and to post to the listserv that the light bulb
> has been changed.
>
> 14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light
> bulb could have been changed differently.
>
> 27 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light bulbs.
>
> 53 to flame the spell checkers.
>
> 41 to correct spelling in the spelling/grammar flames.
>
> 156 to write to the list administrator complaining about the light bulb
> discussion and its inappropriateness to this listserv.
>
> 111 to defend the posting to this list saying that we are all use light
> bulbs
> and therefore the posts **are** relevant to this listserv.
>
> 27 to post URLs where one can see examples of different light bulbs.
>
> 44 to post that the URLs were posted incorrectly, and to post corrected
> URLs.
>
> 33 to summarize ALL posts to date, then quote them (including all the
> headers
> and footers, of course) and then add "Me Too."
>
> 19 to quote the "Me Too's" to say, "Me Three."
>
> 52 to post to the list that they are unsubscribing because they cannot
> handle
> the light bulb controversy.
>
> Konnie Wightman
> Library Coordinator,
> Bismarck Public Schools
> Library Media Office
> 1107 Airport Road
> Bismarck, ND 58504
> 701-221-3597
> Fax: 701-221-3454
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 10:05:57 -0400
> From: "Jean B. Bellavance" <bellavance@EROLS.COM>
> Subject: e-mail and viruses
>
> Dear Group,
>
> I was just informed my many people, that you should not be able to get
> viruses from email, but from the attachments and these can be from
> friends who were inadvertently infected. The message I get most is
> don't open attachments before checking with the sender unless you are
> absolutely know that you are receiving an attachment from them.
>
> Still, please try to use subject headings.
> --
> Jean B. Bellavance, Librarian
> Gwynedd-Mercy Academy, Elementary Division
> P.O. Box 241
> 816 Norristown Rd.
> Spring House, PA 19477
> 215-641-0379 FAX 215-628-8441
> email: jbellavance@gmaelem.org (w) bellavance@erols.com (h)
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2000 22:50:42 -0400
> From: Pat Bennett <pben@CLOVER.NET>
> Subject: GEN: book title needed
>
> To all you knowledgable people...I'm stumped on this one. A friend wants to
> find a book that she read 10 to 15 years ago...it's written by a
> veterinarian in Wisconsin who has rescued lots of different animals and
> doctored them up, given them homes, etc...one story in particular is about
> a hawk he found. I think there are several stories collected in the book and
> that there may be more than one book in a series of sorts. I know this isn't
> much to go on (and it sounds rather like an American James Herriott), but I
> said I'd throw it out to this group, 'cause if anyone can come up with it,
> you can!!! Thanks in advance.
>
> Pat Bennett, Librarian
> East Muskingum Middle School
> New Concord, Ohio
> pben@clover.net
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 09:25:44 -0400
> From: Marcia Mardis <mmardis@MERIT.EDU>
> Subject: subject lines--please!
>
> LM_NETters,
>
> I concur with Jean Bellavance's request for subject
> lines in emails posted to the list. Not only is it good
> etiquette to include a subject line, but as she rightly
> points out, it can also be a safety issue.
>
> And, for those of us who receive over 100 emails
> a day, it is nice to be able to prioritize messages.
>
> Although the subject line issue has come up before,
> I hope the reminder will ease this problem.
>
> Thank you,
> Marcia Mardis
> Project Director and Internet Media Specialist
> Center for the Support of Technology in Education
> Merit Network/University of Michigan
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 04:23:39 -0400
> From: Dave or Kris Roberts <roberts@WWNET.COM>
> Subject: TARGET: bibliographic utilities
>
> Hi to all!
>
> I am a new media specialist in a small private school. I'm currently
> investigating bibliographic utilities (CD-ROM or online) to help create MARC
> records for our school's collection. I would be creating the electronic
> records myself from the original sources. The school's shelf list contains
> the resource room's collection which is mostly out-dated. Most of the books
> used are in the individual classrooms which are not included in the shelf
> list. The principal would like to eventually have an online catalog of the
> entire school's collection. I will eventually have to propose a software
> catalog for the records, but first I will need to create the MARC records.
> Has anyone done this recently? Can you make any recommendations? Price is
> defintiely an issue.
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Kristin Roberts
> Librarian Dearborn Heights Montessori Center
> roberts@wwnet.com
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 10:55:20 EDT
> From: Nancy Riemer Kellner <Nkellner@AOL.COM>
> Subject: Elem: Caldecott Concentration
>
> Greetings Group.
> Just wanted to share an idea that I came up with yesterday. Being a pack rat,
> I save everything. I was wondering what to do with my outdated laminated
> Follett Caldecott posters. I decided to make a "Concentration" game. I cut
> out each book picture, date and caption (I had two complete sets) and
> assembled a matching game. You could also use the "cards" to do a
> chronological order activity or a sorting activity or who knows what else.
>
> Of course, you can also do this with old Newbery posters.
> Happy summer (what's left) to you all.
> Nancy
>
> Nancy Riemer Kellner
> NKellner@aol.com (home)
> NKellner@northborough-southborough-schools.mec.edu (work)
> Librarian, Marguerite E. Peaslee School (Northborough, MA)
> "How much hope, expectation and sheer hard work goes into the smallest
> success.", May Sarton
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 10:11:45 +0000
> From: Nancy Lieber <nlieber@EXECPC.COM>
> Subject: Re: alternatives to Harry Potter
>
> I have read Witch Witch by Ibbotson and would caution those wishing to
> use it as a substitute for Harry Potter that it may cause more
> controversy than the Potter stories. The story relies even more heavily
> on witchcraft.
> --
> Nancy Lieber
> Lower School Library/Media Specialist
> University School of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
> Nlieber@execpc.com or Nlieber@usm.k12.wi.us
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 10:18:27 +0000
> From: Nancy Lieber <nlieber@EXECPC.COM>
> Subject: Re: Question About Alternatives to Harry Potter
>
> I think we need to ask teachers what it is they wanted to teach using
> Harry Potter? Foreshadowing, plot development, mystery, suspense, use of
> mythological/magical characters, strong male character, school stories,
> hunmorous fiction, ghost story, courage, plot twists, vocabulary,
> American/English language differences,symbolism, great use of character
> names/descriptions.....many books can be substituted to teach any of
> these things, and they don't have to have a "magical" component. Find
> out what the teacher thinks the kids appreciate or need to learn--then
> recoimmending a substitute should be easy.
>
> --
> Nancy Lieber
> Lower School Library/Media Specialist
> University School of Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
> Nlieber@execpc.com or Nlieber@usm.k12.wi.us
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 11:23:56 -0400
> From: "Dorothy E. Tissair" <ricflair@MAIL2.NAI.NET>
> Subject: Customer Sevice
>
> Given customer service threads of the last two weeks regarding Scholastic
> and our own facilities, I would like your opinion of my most recent customer
> service complaint. I am beginning to see why Amazon's stock price is way
> down and they haven't made a profit in their history. I should add that the
> two ground based "superstores" compete directly across the street from each
> other a few miles from my school. I chose to order personal copies of the
> paperback in question at the time I was making my school order for library
> bindings from another vendor. Since my school order has to be processed
> through central office and if I am lucky will at school when we open after
> Labor Day and I wanted to be able to read during the three weeks I planned
> for vacation, I placed a personal order that would no doubt be placed into
> circulation when I was through. My e-letter and Amazon's response follow.
> Please comment.
>
> TIA,
>
> Dorothy E. Tissair
> Library Media Specialist
> Mark Twain School
> Hartford, CT
>
> ricflair@mail2.nai.net
>
> X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400
> > >Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000 17:25:27 -0400
> > >Subject: Dissatisfaction with latest service
> > >To: orders@amazon.com
> > >From: "Dorothy E. Tissair" <ricflair@mail2.nai.net>
> > >
> > >I am writing to express my displeasure with the service I received with
> my
> > >latest order. It was definitely not up to what I have experienced with
> past
> > >orders from Amazon. I chose to order a dozen children's paperbacks, on
> the
> > >morning of July 18. All of these books were listed as "usually ships
> within
> > >24 hrs." My past experience had shown shipping estimates to be
> accurate, so
> > >I specifically delayed the order of a book with a longer shipping date.
> I
> > >wanted these books for reading during vacation which started today
> (July
> > >29). Expecting 24 hour shipment standard shipping of 3-7 days would
> have
> > >the books to me in plenty of time, especially since all of my previous
> > >orders form Amazon have been shipped Priority Post. I was not even
> > >concerned when I didn't get shipping confirmation until last Saturday
> > >morning. I anxiously waited for delivery when I came home each night.
> I
> > >began to worry by Thursday night that perhaps my package had been
> stolen
> > >from my door step during a rainy week that had me working late. When
> the
> > >books still did not arrive in this afternoon's mail, I went to your
> site to
> > >trace the order. I was shocked to find out that my order had not even
> left
> > >Reno, NV until late on the 25th (three days after I had been advised
> that it
> > >had been shipped) and had just arrived in New Jersey today. This means
> that
> > >it will not arrive at my door before Tuesday, two full weeks after the
> order
> > >(that was to ship in 24 hrs.)was placed. As I plan to leave for my out
> of
> > >town vacation tomorrow this means that I can probably count on the
> package
> > >being stolen from my door step, if my house doesn't get broken into
> because
> > >someone notices that the package hasn't moved. It also means that if I
> want
> > >to read the Nutmeg Award nominees before school starts I will have to
> make a
> > >trip to one of your competitors stores tonight. I will have to pay
> cover
> > >price for the books but I will have them in my hand. Given the fact
> that I
> > >have paid back more than my supposed "discount" to Amazon.com in
> shipping
> > >and handling fees, I will have to reconsider the "convenience" of
> shopping
> > >with your firm in the future. Of course I know that I am a very small
> > >customer by volume for Amazon.com, but I do believe that the 13,000+
> members
> > >of the LM_NET listserv where I am an active participant will find this
> worth
> > >discussing.
> > >
> > >Dorothy E. Tissair
> > >Library Media Specialist
> > >Mark Twain School
> > >Hartford, CT
> > >
> > >ricflair@mail2.nai.net
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <orders@amazon.com>
> To: "Dorothy E. Tissair" <ricflair@mail2.nai.net>
> Sent: Monday, July 31, 2000 7:34 AM
> Subject: Your Amazon.com Order (#104-0310340-0059968)
>
> >
> > Dear Ms. Tissair,
> >
> > Greetings from Amazon.com.
> >
> > Thank you for writing to us concerning your order. Please accept my
> > sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
> >
> > If this package arrives too late to meet your needs, please feel free
> > to return it at our expense. We will issue a full refund for the
> > price of any item you return.
> >
> > I am sending you a postage-paid return merchandise label, which you
> > can expect to receive within the next 1 to 2 weeks. Simply affix this
> > label to the package and give it to your mail carrier.
> >
> > I hope you'll understand that we do our best to ensure that all of our
> > customer orders leave our distribution centers as close as possible to
> > the availability and shipping estimates that are listed on our web
> > site.
> >
> > I've checked into the availability of the items in your order and
> > found that these items were listed on our web site with this
> > availability estimate: "This item usually ships in 24 hours." This
> > means that we can usually ship these items within 24 hours after an
> > order is placed.
> >
> > This reflects the fact that our distribution center has made known to
> > us that they have at least *one* copy of this item. It's worth noting
> > that, in general, we strive to keep the availability listings on our
> > web site accurate for single-copy orders. Larger orders may take
> > longer to assemble than single-copy orders.
> >
> > We currently use both UPS and the U.S. Postal Service for standard
> > domestic shipments, depending primarily on the weight of the package.
> >
> > As stated on our web site, we expect these shipments to take 3-7
> > business days to arrive. A package shipped via UPS Ground which
> > leaves our distribution center on a Saturday or Sunday does not
> > actually reach the first UPS hub until Monday morning. I do apologize
> > if you were not aware of this at the time your order was shipped.
> >
> > Our shipping charges reflect the handling costs for assembling and
> > packaging each order, as well as the cost of shipping. Shipping costs
> > are an inherent feature in any mail-order service. We understand that
> > sometimes, the shipping costs may represent a large percentage of the
> > overall price of an item.
> >
> > It is always important for us to hear how customers react to all
> > aspects of our service. Strong customer feedback like yours helps us
> > make important decisions about how our shipping procedures can be
> > improved over the course of time.
> >
> > In addition to our large selection, one of the benefits we'd like to
> > offer our customers is convenience, and I realize that we have not met
> > that standard in this case. I hope that you will give us another
> > opportunity to prove the quality of our service to you in the future.
> >
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Jill B.
> > Amazon.com
> > Earth's Biggest Selection
> > http://www.amazon.com
> > ==============================
> > Check your order and more! http://www.amazon.com/your-account
> > Questions? We have your answers! http://www.amazon.com/help
> >
> >
> > >
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 09:45:30 -0500
> From: Seth and Betsy Budney <sbbudney@ENTERACT.COM>
> Subject: Re: Barbie
>
> Barbie Roberts is her name in the 1964 book Barbie in Television by
> Marianne Duest. She goes to Willows High with her friend Midge.
> They go to the Pop Shoppe for hot chocolate. Ken's last name is Carson.
>
> In Happy-Go-Lucky Skipper by Carl Memling (1965), Skipper Roberts lives
> with her older sister Barbie and her mother, father, eleven dolls, dog,
> cat, three goldfish, two turtles and one snail.
>
> I found these two books at an antique show and a rummage sale.
>
> Betsy Budney
> Murray Language Academy
> Chicago, IL
> sbbudney@enteract.com
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of LM_NET Digest - 30 Jul 2000 to 31 Jul 2000 - Special issue (#2000-844)
> *****************************************************************************
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