mission vs ambition

What do you do when your lofty, altruistic mission conflicts with your naked ambition? Well, if you're Google, apparently, you cave.

"Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."

Sounds great, except someone forgot to tell the folks at Google that China happens to be part of our universe.

Where librarians fight for intellectual freedom and access to information, Google fights for its right to earn money in a restrictive environment. In an online article in The Register, a San Francisco attorney states, "This a simple matter of Google adhering to the Chinese dictate...China is a sovereign nation, and they can set their own laws. You can't force a company to go up against a country." But the company can choose whether or not to do business there.

In the same article, Google spokesman Gabriel Stricker is quoted as saying, "By being in China, we help people access more information, and when we do restrict information, we make clear that we've done so." The problem is when you start making these kinds of rationalizations, where does the line drawing end?

[Article found at Library Link of the Day]

Even Captain Kirk has an inner librarian...

[Found at LibrarianInBlack]

when librarians get married

Check out this awesome wedding invitation. It's the ultimate in geek chic!

Make sure to check out the catalog card and response cards here.

Can you tell I'm a fan of librarian/writer/humorist Scott Douglas (La Counte)? While you're there, check out the rest of his blog and his column at McSweeney's Internet Tendency. What the heck, while you're at it, pre-order his new book at Amazon.com. I grabbed an ARC at ALA Midwinter in Philly. It's a fun read for your inner librarian.

(I know what you're thinking, and no, you can't borrow mine. What do I look like...a librarian or something?)

This just in: Libraries don't suck

So, you may have seen this before, but it is new to me. Public libraries don't suck. It's official. Just ask the folks at Wired. It seems public libraries are right up there with Guitar Hero and tap water. Awesome. Thanks, guys. I was starting to get worried.
[LIS News]