David Stanley pointed me to this thoughtful essay.
Modern librarians who prioritize information over knowledge
perpetuate a distraction from the real purpose of a library. A library
facilitates the patient gathering of knowledge – whose acquisition is
superior to almost every other endeavor. Religions have adapted to
technology for the most part without being destroyed by it, so why
can’t libraries? It might not be too late.Information on the Internet may come across as
authoritative, but much of it is one giant Ponzi scheme, especially in
the hands of the young, where it can become a counterfeit for the
reading and memorization that true learning requires. Scholars are made
through the quiet study of one chapter at a time. For that we need
silence. We need to restore an appreciation for the close study of
words.–William H. Wisner, Christian Science Monitor
Accidental Pedagogy politely took to task an anonymous blogger who called this essay “thoughtful.”
Here’s what I posted in reply: