Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id NAA13519 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 30 Apr 2001 13:20:42 +0100 Message-ID: <3AED57B1.6A8804AE@carrollsweb.com> Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 07:16:49 -0500 From: Dan Roland <roland2@carrollsweb.com> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.75 [en] (Win98; U) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: memes and SOP References: <NEBBKOADILIOKGDJLPMACENHCCAA.debivort@umd5.umd.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Lawrence,
Thanks for the quick reply - 3 minutes! At this point I am just asking
questions and hoping to find some answers on how libraries help to spread
beliefs.
If the procedure of charging fines for overdue materials is based on the belief
that to do so will inhibit keeping materials past the due date, then is this not
a meme among librarians?
If the issuance of a library card is based on a similar belief that library
patrons are not to be trusted so we must keep a record of contact information,
some libraries require proof of residence, is this not also a meme among
librarians?
Granted, the belief that is being disseminated is implicit, but the library
patron gets the message even though they might assume the procedure is necessary
because of other users than themselves. If the library user "believes" the
procedure is necessary and worthwhile and is willing to abide by it when they
fail to get a book back to the library before the due date, then is this not a
meme?
Lawrence DeBivort wrote:
> Good morning,
>
> Each of your items may be SOP, but other than #3 it is not clear to me why
> the rest would be memes. A meme is a linguistic or behavioral practice that
> embodies a belief and is by virtue of the practice disseminated from person
> to another. Perhaps you are looking for library procedures that embody
> beliefs? This will be different from non-memetic library procedures that are
> merely based on a librarians beliefs. Only if the procedure disseminates a
> belief can it be considered memetic. (There will be some on this list who
> consider that if it only disseminates behavior it it memetic, but I
> distinguish between this and what I consider "real" memes.)
>
> I would consider the Dewey system to have memetic properties as it 1)
> categorizes human thought, thus creating artificial boundaries within
> continua of knowledge (to say nothing of misclassified materials!), 2) the
> system (any categorization system?) tends to impede multi-disciplinary
> thinking.
>
> Thanks for the summary of some of your findings, Dan -- this is
> thought-provoking. What is happening in the library that has the effect of
> spreading specific beliefs?
>
> - Lawrence
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk [mailto:fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk]On Behalf
> Of Dan Roland
> Sent: Monday, April 30, 2001 7:22 AM
> To: memes list
> Subject: memes and SOP
>
> Please excuse the newbie questions here.
>
> I have been working on a list of what I think are memes in public
> libraries:
>
> 1. charging fines for overdue materials.
> 2. requiring a library card in order to check out materials.
> 3. arranging materials according to the Dewey Decimal system.
> 4. security systems to guard against book theft.
>
> and I am curious to hear from the more learned on this list as to
> whether or not these do consitute memes and why.
>
> Another name for each of these in organizational parlance would be
> "standard operating procedure" and I would also be curious to any
> comment on the difference.
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
> For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
> see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
> Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
> For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
> see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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