Comments on: What was a “cybrarian” in 2001? http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2010/02/cybrarian.html Amazingly informed & therefore properly opinionated. Wed, 23 May 2012 16:15:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Simon Spero http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2010/02/cybrarian.html/comment-page-1#comment-13569 Simon Spero Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:40:20 +0000 http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/?p=12985#comment-13569 In 1991 ¹, <i>cybrarian</i> was a blend or portmanteau of "cyberpunk" and "librarian"*. Cyberpunk wasn't as played-out then; the conference session I coined it for was in a pretty small room, but we had most everyone who was developing software or hosting sites for WAIS/Gopher/WWW/FTP/Archie . We'd probably need a bigger room now. There was more emphasis on the tech services/systems side of things, but there was also a sense that with network access policies loosening, and with the new generation of graphical user interfaces, information was about to start sneaking out after curfew, and we were totally going to stick it to Team Flying Car. (WAIS was Brewster Kahle/ Thinking Machines Corporation implementation of Z39.50 1988) By 2001³ , The cyberpunk connotations had faded , as the technology got more stable, and as the reference aspect came to dominate, probably for the better. But, like the unofficial tech services motto says "PE1599.F83 - If I wanted to help you I'd be out front". I have a copy of the Johnson book, but I haven't had time to get to it yet (I'm currently a Doctoral Student in the <a href="http://www.sils.unc.edu" rel="nofollow"> School of Information and Library Science at UNC Chapel Hill</a>. I'm saving it for avoidance behavior time :-) Simon ¹ "1991 Updated BOF Schedule for San Francisco USENIX Conference in comp.org.usenix (Usenet newsgroup) 31 Dec. Cybrarians: WAIS/Archvists." ² In ⁴ ² "Cybrarians: WAIS/Archivists Simon Spero " See: http://groups.google.com/group/comp.org.usenix/msg/49057943438c1c8f?pli=1 ³ "2001 F. POPCORN & A. HANFT Dict. Future 300 Cybrarians will have to learn new techniques for mapping and monitoring the unruly Internet". In ⁴ ⁴ Cybrarian. (2006). Oxford English Dictionary Online. Available at: http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/20002634 * [The OED entomology is slightly buggy in this regard. Sorry. Had to. ] In 1991 ¹, cybrarian was a blend or portmanteau of “cyberpunk” and “librarian”*. Cyberpunk wasn’t as played-out then; the conference session I coined it for was in a pretty small room, but we had most everyone who was developing software or hosting sites for WAIS/Gopher/WWW/FTP/Archie . We’d probably need a bigger room now.

There was more emphasis on the tech services/systems side of things, but there was also a sense that with network access policies loosening, and with the new generation of graphical user interfaces, information was about to start sneaking out after curfew, and we were totally going to stick it to Team Flying Car.

(WAIS was Brewster Kahle/ Thinking Machines Corporation implementation of Z39.50 1988)

By 2001³ , The cyberpunk connotations had faded , as the technology got more stable, and as the reference aspect came to dominate, probably for the better. But, like the unofficial tech services motto says “PE1599.F83 – If I wanted to help you I’d be out front”.

I have a copy of the Johnson book, but I haven’t had time to get to it yet (I’m currently a Doctoral Student in the School of Information and Library Science at UNC Chapel Hill. I’m saving it for avoidance behavior time :-)

Simon

¹ “1991 Updated BOF Schedule for San Francisco USENIX Conference in comp.org.usenix (Usenet newsgroup) 31 Dec. Cybrarians: WAIS/Archvists.” ² In ⁴
² “Cybrarians: WAIS/Archivists Simon Spero ” See: http://groups.google.com/group/comp.org.usenix/msg/49057943438c1c8f?pli=1
³ “2001 F. POPCORN & A. HANFT Dict. Future 300 Cybrarians will have to learn new techniques for mapping and monitoring the unruly Internet”. In ⁴
⁴ Cybrarian. (2006). Oxford English Dictionary Online. Available at: http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/20002634

* [The OED entomology is slightly buggy in this regard. Sorry. Had to. ]

]]> By: Blog(s) I follow « Another Document Management 1 Blog… http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2010/02/cybrarian.html/comment-page-1#comment-13535 Blog(s) I follow « Another Document Management 1 Blog… Sat, 06 Mar 2010 09:56:02 +0000 http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/?p=12985#comment-13535 [...] but I think she strikes a good balance between concrete practical tips and tricks, and reflective analysis of wider issues related to librarianship and [...] [...] but I think she strikes a good balance between concrete practical tips and tricks, and reflective analysis of wider issues related to librarianship and [...]

]]> By: Iris http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2010/02/cybrarian.html/comment-page-1#comment-13485 Iris Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:59:01 +0000 http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/?p=12985#comment-13485 Oops, sorry. I think the mention of cybrarian must have been in an online audio interview I heard on the NPR site. (I haven't read the book yet.) Oops, sorry. I think the mention of cybrarian must have been in an online audio interview I heard on the NPR site. (I haven’t read the book yet.)

]]> By: Iris http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2010/02/cybrarian.html/comment-page-1#comment-13484 Iris Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:56:01 +0000 http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/?p=12985#comment-13484 I never heard the term cybrarian before reading an email exchange with Marilyn Johnson posted on The New Yorker's website ( http://bit.ly/cPg75l ). Now I see that it's been used since 2001. I left a previous career in information technology in the late 1990s hoping to one day be a librarian sorting through the mass of information on the Web. Happily, I am now, and proud to be calling myself a digital librarian. I never heard the term cybrarian before reading an email exchange with Marilyn Johnson posted on The New Yorker’s website ( http://bit.ly/cPg75l ). Now I see that it’s been used since 2001. I left a previous career in information technology in the late 1990s hoping to one day be a librarian sorting through the mass of information on the Web. Happily, I am now, and proud to be calling myself a digital librarian.

]]> By: Shelley http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2010/02/cybrarian.html/comment-page-1#comment-13468 Shelley Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:37:19 +0000 http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/?p=12985#comment-13468 I'm too conservative, I guess, to like the idea of exchanging an old word ("librarian") for a new one. However, I do very much like the phrase "library without walls," perhaps because it's in the wall-less library where my work resides. But I also like the way the phrase validates all that's written now but not on the shelf! I’m too conservative, I guess, to like the idea of exchanging an old word (“librarian”) for a new one. However, I do very much like the phrase “library without walls,” perhaps because it’s in the wall-less library where my work resides. But I also like the way the phrase validates all that’s written now but not on the shelf!

]]> By: Carol http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2010/02/cybrarian.html/comment-page-1#comment-13426 Carol Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:58:08 +0000 http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/?p=12985#comment-13426 Regarding the capital W in 'Web,' that's dictated in the AP Stylebook as recently as the 2007 edition. Now I'm off to buy the 2009 edition for my library... Regarding the capital W in ‘Web,’ that’s dictated in the AP Stylebook as recently as the 2007 edition. Now I’m off to buy the 2009 edition for my library…

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