After posting my feelings concerning the article in the Gainesville Sun, I see Library Journal and the Annoyed Librarian have both posted blogs concerning this article. I also appreciate Sol Hirsch's (Alachua County Library Director) response.
My concern with some comments I have seen have lead me to write on this topic again. The comments that have me upset are the bashing of the intelligence levels and university research levels of the state of Florida. Now don't get me wrong, I ran away from Florida as fast as I could. I also got tired of the jokes about the stupid people in Florida (weekly on Jay Leno) and the political jokes (2000 and now 2008 Election years). But as professionals, should such child-like name calling responses, be are way of reacting to an attack on our profession. We should be rallying the troops and defending our careers and institutions against these attacks.
Coming from the state, I can say they do not spend what they should on education. This should be used as an example of what can happen in a state that does not respect education. You have people writing in editorials to the newspaper that libraries should be shut down and sold off. What's next schools? Florida has a low graduation and literacy rate. The universities are trying to determine how to ensure students graduate on time. The rest of the country questions the intelligence of the state due to Florida continuously being negatively depicted in the national arena. One positive thing I can say is Florida has several fine academic institutions, my alma mater, University of Florida, being one of them. If you aren't aware the University of Florida is located in Gainesville, where the editorial was published.
Florida is not the only state making bad decisions that will negatively impact the education level of it's populace. Remember even if you do not use the library or have children in school. Their education effects your life. They are the future of our country when we are older.
Now I'm really upset since I felt forced to defend Florida.
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Get used to it. CERTAIN PEOPLE around here have been making fun of Arkansas and the Razorbacks for years. Then there was the whole Good Ole Boy Bill Group that shamed us with their antics for 8 years. (Maybe Jeb'll get elected and you can be ashamed, too.)Although I've said for years that there is nothing in Florida but displaced Yankees, many of those displaced retirees are moving to beautiful northwest Arkansas now, so that will lower our intelligence rating, too. I'll take ignorant but intelligent hill and farm folks over the purposely stupid anyday.
But you know, we below the Mason-Dixon Line are just too uncivilized.
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