[NJARC] Re: Free magazines - QST, CQ, 73, Ham Radio - more

[amagoun]

John,

If your response represents your teaching style, I feel sorry for any
student who offers a reasoned, different opinion in your classroom.

If InfoAge needs neither my professional experience, institutional
support, nor personal membership, I will withdraw them.  Fred, since
you're undoubtedly reading this, you don't need to reply and reassure
me.  But I don't understand John's overreaction.  If InfoAge is to grow
into more than an electronic and computer hobbyist's nirvana, and I
expect the township is not willing to fund that format indefinitely,
then its board will have to deal with professionals in fields where the
hobbyists lack experience, like museum, library, hotel, and event
management.  If InfoAge is hoping for the no-strings-attached angel to
drop a few million dollars into an endowment, it will help to show a
professional, non-profit operation.  An intemperate attitude toward
constructive criticism is no way to win friends and influence people.

Steve Rosenfeld makes some good points about setting up exchanges for
duplicates, and as long as that's organized, terrific.  The question is,
how many organizations need to maintain series of popular publications?
What institutions in the state already carry these publications?  Are
there any initiatives by the publisher or national organizations to
digitize these magazines?  Filling in a series is an obvious use for
parts of accessions, but that's not what I was referring to.  There is a
time when having 4 or 7 or 13 copies of the June 1948 issue of QST means
that if you can't find buyers or takers whose descendants will
eventually donate them back to InfoAge, then you should feel little
regret at consigning them, like National Geographics, to the recycle
bin.

Does a tree keep all its leaves or branches?  Learning to let go is part
of life, and healthy growth--physically, mentally, and spiritually.

With all best wishes,
Alex

--
Alexander B. Magoun, Ph.D.
Executive Director
David Sarnoff Library
201 Washington Road, CN 5300
Princeton, NJ 08543-5300

609-734-2636
amagoun at davidsarnoff.org
(f) 609-734-2339
www.davidsarnoff.org
www.davidsarnoff.blogspot.com