Terry:
I must disagree with you. The comment which appeared
in the _American_Lawyer_ (Oh, low blow!) was made as part of
a survey. Surveys traditionally guarantee secrecy in order
to ensure a good response rate.
I find that an off-the-cuff remark that would not have
been said had accountability been attached, for a survey,
is far different than a diatribe from an individual who claims
to be a talented library administrator under the auspices of
an advisory piece.
The publication of this piece also raisesquestions of
discretion on the part of the editor of _Law_Lines_ for
including such an article. There is a great deal of debate
going on in New York now as to who wrote the article and a lot
of wondering by people all over town if it could have been
their director. It is fairly clear at this point who the
author is, so hopefully that discussion will die down quickly.
But the point is, the panic never needed to take place at all.
I do not believe that author accountability leads to sanitized
diplomacy and firm PR. I believe it leads to rationally
thought out and reasonable publishing that serves to promote
and improve the profession in a constructive manner.
I continue to maintain that the anonymous publication
of an article such as that featured in the current issue
of _Law_Lines_ was irresponsible on the part of the editor
and unprofessional on the part of the author.
Lydia E. Wilson
Tax Librarian
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
Phone:(212)373-2456
Fax:(212)373-2221
E-Mail: BM.PWW@RLG.STANFORD.EDU
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