What a GREAT idea!
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu] On
Behalf Of Barbara Traub
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 7:24 PM
To: Rosin, Katherine (SHB); Michael Ravnitzky
Cc: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Subject: RE: Solution to the West Publishing debacle
Perhaps this could be our "Hot Topic"?
Barbara G. Traub, J.D., M.L.S.
Head of Reference and Instructional Services
Rittenberg Law Library
St. John's University School of Law
8000 Utopia Parkway
Jamaica, N.Y. 11439
(718) 990-1668 (voice)
(718) 990-6649 (fax)
traubb@stjohns.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu on behalf of Rosin, Katherine
(SHB)
Sent: Mon 5/1/2006 7:16 PM
To: Michael Ravnitzky
Cc: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Subject: RE: Solution to the West Publishing debacle
Excellently articulated, and I agree.
Katherine Rosin
Reference Librarian
Shook, Hardy & Bacon
Miami Center, Suite 2400
201 South Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, Florida 33131-4332
E-Mail: KRosin@SHB.com
Phone: 305-358-5171 OR
800-273-8282 x 68023
Fax: 305-358-7470
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu
[mailto:owner-law-lib@ucdavis.edu]On
Behalf Of Michael Ravnitzky
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2006 7:04 PM
To: law-lib@ucdavis.edu
Subject: Solution to the West Publishing debacle
I am not a librarian, so I have been reluctant to weigh in.
However, in my humble opinion, I believe that neither a boycott
of West
Publishing products nor a boycott of their reception would be
productive,
and neither would accomplish the stated objectives. In fact,
the boycott of
West products smacks of censorship and is in some ways contrary
to the
spirit of free and open inquiry held in such esteem by the
library
profession, although censorship was obviously not at all
intended by those
who suggested a boycott. It might also be contrary to the
aspirational
ideals of the library profession by restricting information
available to
patrons.
Instead, a solution that airs a variety of viewpoints and adds a
forum for
edification on this subject seems much more in tune with the
library
profession.
I think that a couple of points from the ALA Code of Ethics,
which is
incorporated by reference within the AALL Code of Ethics, appear
applicable
here, or at least worth thinking about.
The ALA Code of Ethics Item 2:
We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all
efforts to
censor library resources.
The ALA Code of Ethics Item 7 reads:
We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional
duties and
do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair
representation of
the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their
information
resources.
The ALA Code of Ethics Item 5 reads, in part:
We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness
and good
faith....
A boycott of the reception would be mean spirited and rude, in
addition to
being pointless and counterproductive.
Therefore, I respectfully suggest adding a seminar or panel
discussion on
the subject of pricing and West Publishing at St. Louis, and any
future AALL
meetings. I leave defining the topic specificially as an
exercise for the
reader. Such a seminar or panel discussion would, by its very
existence, do
a lot more to help resolve the stated concerns in a manner
consistent with
the professionalism I have always seen in the law librarian
community.
Michael Ravnitzky
mikerav@verizon.net
Silver Spring, Maryland
"MMS <shb.com>" made the following
annotations on 05/01/06, 18:16:13
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