Noise Between Rooms
Vachel Lindsay Walks at Midnight: Six Weeks in Springfield, Illinois
by Robert McKercher on 01/07/14
During the summer of 2010, I interned with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) in the state capital, Springfield. I processed a collection of archival materials that had remained untouched since its donation by the Vachel Lindsay Association (VLA) in 2009. It was often tedious, dirty work, but there were also moments of excitement, such as my discovery of what may be a previously unpublished poem handwritten on hotel stationary (Lindsay historian Dennis Camp is still researching it).
Happy Holidays
by Robert McKercher on 01/06/14
The holiday card my wife and I sent out to friends and family this year.
The Compromised Compromise
by Robert McKercher on 01/06/14
Libraries operate according to compromise standards that respect copyright but allow fundamental activities like circulation of materials. The digital revolution presented new challenges for copyright owners who responded with digital rights management technology. DRM and effective lobbying of lawmakers have created a paradigm in which intellectual property owners control not only copying and distribution but access to information as well. The library profession must assert its rights and the rights of its patrons to restore proper balance to the compromise.
