Barack Obama spoke at the American Library Association meeting this summer. Somewhere (Library Journal, perhaps?) I saw criticism of some of the high-profile speakers -- that they just "give us what we want to hear" and offer nothing challenging. Someone did assert that that is what conferences are for: to reaffirm professionals in what they do. When I went to American Camping Association conferences, I certainly felt that, and enjoyed the feeling. The GSUSA National Council Session I attended did feel a little too rah-rah, but the Girl Scouts does that, sometimes.
Anyway, Obama's remarks appear in the Aug 2005 issue of American Libraries; a train of thought I applauded might be summarized with these two snippets:
Anyway, Obama's remarks appear in the Aug 2005 issue of American Libraries; a train of thought I applauded might be summarized with these two snippets:
... literacy is the most basic currency of the knowledge economy that we are living in today.
Over the next 10 years, the average literacy required for all American occupations is projected to rise by 14%. ... The kind of literacy necessary for the 21st century requires detailed understanding and complex comprehension.
In other news, P and I spent an awesome weekend at Natural Bridge. Though 1960s colonial revival, I totally dug the Natural Bridge Hotel with it's quiet lobby with a few simple antiques, a cabinet full of archival tidbits about the hotel, and a smashing array of prints of Natural Bridge itself. Breakfast in the Colonial Dining Room meant a buffet -- I had my annual serving of grits -- genteel service, and an atmosphere not unlike the Miller & Rhodes Tea Room, except that the view was mountainous, not urban.
The Bridge itself remains, of course, one of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World. We lingered there and strolled all the way to the Lace Falls on Sunday. But wait! That's not all! The Natural Bridge Caverns describe themselves as the deepest commercial caverns on the east coast. I felt amazed when we stood at the bottom of a giant crevice looking up 300-whatever feet -- a split in the earth torn apart by an earthquake. Damn.
As if that wasn't enough, there's a Wax Museum, too. Pictures are forth-coming.
5 comments:
A few things:
A) gentile service? you mean they don't serve Jews? GENTEEL!!!
B) Thanks for the postcard! way cool addition to my stack.
C) I quote, from your quote:
"literacy is the most basic currency of the knowledge economy that we are living in today."
Wow. Lovely sentiment, isn't it? Very poorly spoken, but a nice thought. It's overdone--fraught with dollar words inserted where nickel words would have sufficed and--worse yet, grammatically challenged.
GA, I went before your graduation, too, so this is 2 times in just over a year. Is it *really* just a year since your graduation??
Let's not forget the dark side of Natural Bridge. That there are supporting bolts in the underside that were put in it a few years ago by the government. When I asked the ticketman to the Bridge about it he was vague in the answers and said no one had asked him that before. I think a more proper moniker for the said Wonder should now be officially called "Frankenbridge".
However, that did not deter the most beautiful weekend.
P.
Yeah, but why didn't you guys go to the Monster Museum while you were up there? ;)
http://www.naturalbridgeva.com/monster.html
V - The Wax Museum and P forming conspiracy theories about the bolts in the Bridge was all the craziness I could stand! We did have a nice view of the entrance to the Monster Museum from our cabin, though.
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