Somewhat belatedly, I opened my copy of Gazette to find that as well as the
celebrated David Nieper brochure, there was also one for a publisher,
"Independence-Educational Publishers Ltd" and advertising "the latest in
news and views on contemporary issues". Perhaps I was selected exclusively,
as I am by Readers' Digest, but in following this thread, no-one seems to
have commented on it. It is approximately the same surface area, although a
slightly heavier-weight paper. Did everyone else think it part of the
professional dissemination of information?
On the other part of the thread, I dislike intensely reading anything more
than about half a page of text on screen.
Alasdair MacNaughtan
-----Original Message-----
From: Chartered Library and Information Professionals
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Kevin Symonds
Sent: 13 May 2005 13:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Why the David Nieper thread is relevant to this list
Andy
>Most of us may have computer access at work, but how many employers would
>be happy for us to sit at computers reading CILIP literature - LISJOBNET
>in particular?<
I don't know, I guess it depends on how your employer feels about you
involving yourself in your professional association. Reading CILIP
literature in general would come under that, same as if you were following
your professional qualifications, or doing something like being a union
representative. Some places would hate it and say do it in your own time
and others will give you extra days off to enable you to fulfil your
obligations.
I personally read CILIP publications whilst I'm doing something like
backing up if not in my tea and lunchbreaks and I check Lisjobnet for
curiosity whenever I feel like it as it only takes a few seconds.
>I remember a discussion thread some time back (it may have been on another
>list) initiated by someone who was researching peoples' preferences for
>how they viewed PDF documents. From what I remember
>most people preferred to print them off and read them - amongst other
>things it is easier to navigate around the document, as well as make notes
>on the page. So I don't think it would be desirable to make such
>documents read-only.<
Exactly, what I meant was to reduce the environmental cost of providing a
paper replacement only for you to print out your own copy you would need
pdf's to have printing disabled. Now that's clearly not going to be
practical for the reasons you've given hence me saying it wouldn't work in
reality only in theory. It's the same with electronic journals, the number
of people who print out a whole 20 page article only to skim it and discard
it on a pile must be high. It's a social convention that we haven't (and in
my mind won't) overcome.
Kevin
Kevin Symonds
Librarian
MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
15 Chaucer Road
Cambridge
CB2 2EF
Tel: 01223 355294 ext 110
Fax: 01223 359062
|