This week's local library news ran the gamut, from the sensationalist to the superfluous.
A patron of Brooklyn Public's Flatlands branch was upbraided by a security guard for breastfeeding in the children's area. After she complained to the New York Civil Liberties Union, BPL issued an apology and transferred the guard to a different branch. Suffice it to say, the media were all over this one, quickly followed by the requisite array of ignorant-to-informed reader comments. But really, is this newsworthy? Breastfeeding in public is legal. Period. And why do so many (male) commenters compare breastfeeding to urination? As though secretion of bodily fluids were the most significant characteristic of the two activities! Even the.effing.librarian likened the two, however obliquely.
Library Journal published a point-counterpoint on the Rutgers SCILS proposed name change controversy.
And in the NY Times, yet another article focused on increased use of city libraries and their role in assisting patrons with job searches. Not that I begrudge the positive coverage, it's just that as the deadlines for the NY state and city budget votes near, I prefer the-sky-is-falling type articles that match my own growing hysteria.
27 March 2009
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2 comments:
"even the effing librarian"?? you say that like I'm somebody. when did I become somebody?
(and men can only compare breastfeeding to public urination.. when else do we expose something normally covered by clothing? that's pretty much all we got)
I said "even" because I was surprised by your response. But you're a definite somebody in the librarian blogger world, all things being relative of course. (I've been at this game for a mere 5 months!)
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