LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION ACCESS

What is copyright? Is it not the right to give some selected people the authority to deny others information just because they are privileged to have what they have acquired freely published or in a form that is reproducible.

What should librarians do concerning the freedom of access to information? Refuse people to access the databases because the library has not yet paid up the subscription fee?

Encourage people to make copies of software that is necessary for access of information in the library?
The later would be the choice of every librarian who is concise of power of information and the right that every human being has to information.

The investors in technology should not be allowed to take control of who accesses the information that is available. This is because they would control demand by hiking prices, control the distribution of information and decide who will access information and who will not basing it the amount of money one has. This would eventually lead to inaccessibility of information by the poor. Who cannot pay the rising fee of access.

THE PURPOSE OF THE LIBRARIES IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION FREE TO ALL PEOPLE, WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION AND HINDRANCES.

LIBRARIANS LETS FIGHT THIS VICE OF INFORMATION DISCRIMINATION. ECONOMY SHOULD NOT HINDER INFORMATION ACCESS.

THE LIBRARY, THE LIBRARIAN, AND THE NEW INFORMATION PROVISION FIELD

This blog is intended for discussions on how to improve the library and librarians' profession in the market place.

I do realise that the number of information providers are increasing everyday. Today we have:

1. The Press
2. The Radio
3. The Television
4. The Archives
5. The Publishers
6. The Information brokers
7. The Public Relations Officers
8. The record managers

The list is endless.

With this realisation, there is need to highlight the problems and challenges the librarian and library face in this new environment of information provision.

I wellcome all the professionals, academicians and students to this blog so as to contribute to the betterment of the librarian and the library in the now competitive field of information provision.

QUESTIONS TO START WITH

1. Is the library and the librarian heading to extinction?
2. What is the new (if there is any) role of the library and librarian in the new information provision field?
3. How can the library and the librarian work be improved to match the competition?

You are all welcome to give your views, opinions and suggestions.