Hi all.
Just thought I should add to the issue of the Amazon advert on the the
British Library site and come in thier defence.
Since 1995, in the course of updating national library web sites around
the world at
http://members.fortunecity.com/infoconnect/Page19.htm
I have indeed come across "some form of commercialisation" on national
library web sites
even though national libraries are known to be "traditionally" funded by
public money.
But in the modern era of the Internet, some national libraries actually
have to raise extra funds via adverts
on their web sites, e.g. to manage the huge costs of hosting a web site
and paying staff to maintain it,
especially if they have thier own server outright, and not subscribe to
an ISP. Governments just do not provide enough money from the budget.
Take a random look at some national libraries websites, on my web site,
and you will see it is not just national libraries from advanced
countries like the UK, having some form of commercial advert on their
web site, but also 3rd world countries from Latin America and Asia too!!
I rest my case!
Godfrey.
Aran Lewis wrote:
> > > Interesting that on the main page The British Library Public
> > > Catalogue has an amazon.co.uk advert and under it the words
> > > "Buy books NOW from our sponsors". A little jarring. Wasn't
> > > anticipating any level of commercialism here.
Peter Scott
> > > Interesting that on the main page The British Library Public
> > > Catalogue has an amazon.co.uk advert and under it the words
> > > "Buy books NOW from our sponsors". A little jarring. Wasn't
> > > anticipating any level of commercialism here.
> >
> > It's becoming very common for libraries to raise funds this way. See:
> >
> > http://www.lights.com/how-to/libraries.html
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Godfrey Oswald BSc MSc
EARL Information Officer / Web Developer
EARL, the Consortium for Public Library Networking,
Fourth Floor, Gun Court, 70 Wapping Lane, LONDON E1W 2RS
Telephone: 0207 702 2020
Fax: 0207 702 2019
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