Wednesday, January 16, 2008
No Cookies, only books!
This clip is amusing on a number of levels, not the least of which is the fact that it's Sesame Street and involves Cookie Monster. But what struck me the most when I watched it was the fact that the library only has books. No records (this was the 80s, I assume), no movies, no video games, just books. Things sure have changed!
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3 comments:
I love Cookie Monster; too bad that he's had to relegate his beloved treats to "sometimes foods."
It's funny how much library have changed. I've been to some libraries that have cafes in them, and you can buy cookies.
On the other side of the argument, have libraries gone to far and put in things like cafes at the expense of information service. There is a clip from The Simpsons that addresses this issue. I tried very hard to find the clip but with no luck. The clip is from the 10th season in an episode called "They Saved Lisa's Brain."
In the episode Lisa joins MENSA and at a MENSA meeting the members are discussing library standards. This says something interest about how libraries are viewed and how patrons of the library are viewed. It's really kind of a narrow minded view. Lots of people who are not MENSA members use the library, and they aren't responsible for any dumbing down of libraries.
I won't try to recreate the whole scene from memory, but some of funnier and more memorable lines are:
"They took out the English Literature section and put in a make your own sundae bar."
"They got rid of all the microfilm. Even the micofiche."
(These quotes may not be exactly correct. If any else can find the quotes or the clip, that would be great!)
I think both of these scenes give a very simplified version of libraries. I can remember back in the 80's the library in my home town had records, videos, and cassette tapes. Of course, they had many more books. Since housing books is the general preception of libraries it's easy to tell young children libraries are where you go to read book.
At the same time, I don't think different media and opportunities at the libary mean they are dumbing down. I've yet to see a library take out the English literature section for a make your own sundae bar.
Regardless of how many books, media or cookies you think a library should have, it's good to think about these issues. As Lisa says "my family never discusses library standards, and when I try to steer the conversation in that direction, they make me feel like a nerd."
John, that sounds like a great Simpson's episode, I'll have to borrow and watch it. :) It really can be a very difficult decision of how to spend a library's budget, though, especially with smaller public libraries: pay for database subscriptions or more popular lit?
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