Comments on: How 1983 wasn’t like “1983”

By: Lurker

Lurker — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:57:57 +0000

Another reason for the obsession with ventilation and air quality was the prevention of mold and such like which could easily destroy or ruin a massive amount of a library’s less-used collection.

Problem is, wide, unobstructed flow spaces and sweeping drafts of oxygen made libraries incredible (by modern standards) fire hazards.

By: The Warbler » Blog Archive » The Library….of the Future!

The Warbler » Blog Archive » The Library….of the Future! — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 07:46:37 +0000

[...] was led to this post by Steve Lawson on his See Also blog by a post on LibraryThing’s Thingology blog. It’s [...]

By: Nann

Nann — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:26:48 +0000

Cutter’s article about the Buffalo Public Library was printed in Public Libraries, the journal of the Public Library Association, in 1983 to coincide with the first PLA national conference.

By: Steve Lawson

Steve Lawson — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:42:41 +0000

Joan, I also liked that part.

TMM, I’m sure you are right, and I’m sure that was a big deal in the 19th century. It’s not Cutter’s fault that he didn’t predict air conditioning. That’s just one of the things that makes this kind of futurism interesting.

By: TMM

TMM — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:23:22 +0000

Ask any preservation librarian whether or not the obsession with ventilation is really that far off!

Wasn’t coal the primary source of heating in 1883? I visited Edinburgh, Scotland some (ok, many) years ago when they were restoring the facades of many of the historic buildings. Beautiful honey-colored stone emerged from layers and layers of black grime — produced by coal burning in the past. I can understand why librarians wouldn’t want that stuff getting on their books!

By: JoanP

JoanP — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:29:51 +0000

I was led to this by a post over at LibraryThing. What a marvelous article! Thank you for finding it, and posting the link. My favorite line must be this: "But the main advantage of this system of separate reading-rooms is that it compels the appointment of just as many competent librarians." One can never underestimate the importance of job security!

By: Steve Lawson

Steve Lawson — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:26:07 +0000

Thanks Karen. I found your post earlier today.

I had noticed many of the same general things that you did–the author’s over-reliance on secondary sources, some of them of questionable value–but hadn’t followed up on the details as well as you did.

I haven’t finished the book. I suppose I will eventually, but it’s generally a pretty shallow and disappointing book.

By: Karen Coyle

Karen Coyle — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:08:51 +0000

See my recent post about Glut — and be warned, although a fun read, it is not trustworthy as information.

http://kcoyle.blogspot.com/2007/09/glut-gunk.html

By: Leo Klein

Leo Klein — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:01:39 +0000

“In ’1983′ open stacks haven’t been invented yet. Readers enter the call number they want on a litle device in their desk and a boy runs and gets the book for them.”

This was pretty much my experience of the Sorbonne in Paris and the Freie Universitaet in Berlin when I went to both in the early-to-mid Eighties.

Interesting link nevertheless.