[GBW] Waxing philosophical

["Sophia Bogle" <sophia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you, Dorothy, for addressing this issue for me. On the point about
money and volunteerism, I must disagree. Of course money buys time. It
helps people to make choices as to how to spend their time anyway. Unless
of course one is so well off that stipend wages could make no possible
difference and then the point is moot for those people. Still... they must
be putting their time then into whatever it is that gives them that
adequacy of money. But if all the volunteers are so well off then why offer
a stipend at all? Perhaps it is a nice symbolic gesture that holds space in
which the volunteer must put their time. It creates an obligation at the
very least. I have not volunteered for the GBW yet other than to write
articles for the NW Chapter, but I plan to be more involved someday. You
are right in that it will not be a stipend that will call me to service.
Money, time, what is it that holds us back from volunteering at one time
vs. another? Are we ever doing all we can? I am hugely appreciative of all
the volunteers for this organization. Thank you all for your time and
efforts. I read every word of the Journal, the Standard are wonderful and I
use the website frequently for reference.

(I knew the "Dark Ages" comment would be a sore spot for some... Sorry
'bout that.) I too am one of those enamored of old technology and forms and
I do not want to see the end of them. I would simply notice that in this
group of people (the GBW) it seems safe to assume that many of us have this
same predilection for old things and ways and that if we shun the new
technology as "other" we might miss the opportunity provided by the
internet to expand our numbers and our effectiveness in the world in a
grand way. 

In any case, I offer this thought: What if the Guild could afford to pay
someone enough that the newsletter could be translated into a digital
version each time, someone who knows about webpage presence and keywords
and how search engines work and all that sort of thing. And what if that
expanded presence in the universe led to us getting more members and led us
to even greater opportunities to provide community and leadership for these
members so that knowledge flowed like a river instead of in little cups
delivered to our mailboxes. Believe me I like the little cups. They are
very nice to hold and keep and I don?t want them to go away. I just want
more. More for me, more for the Guild, more for the as yet unknown members,
those working in high school libraries, those trying to repair books on
their own and those artists who have never even thought of the book as an
art form.

Peacefully,

	~Sophia

Sophia Siobhan Wolohan Bogle 
   Red Branch Book Restoration 
   www.bookrestoration.org 

-----Original Message-----
From: gbw-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:gbw-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Dorothy Africa
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 12:11 PM
To: The email list for Guild of Book Workers member communications
Subject: Re: [GBW] digital publications


   In response to Sophia's query, the Guild does give a stipend to the 
Journal, and to some other positions that require time and expertise.  
Some other positions on the board that also require time and expertise 
are not paid any stipend at all, so they might be considered the most 
burdensome.  In any event, as Jim pointed out, there are always more 
things the Guild could do than there are people able to put in the time 
commitments to do them.  Money is very nice stuff, but it doesn't really 
buy time.  No matter how much a person is paid, it's the same old 24 
hours a day that everyone else gets.  The Guild will always be indebted 
to those members who choose to offer it some of that precious 
commodity.  As to the Dark Ages, Sophia, there are those of us much 
enamored ot the period (from a safe distance which features indoor 
plumbing and modern medicine).  Not the least of its charms is its 
marked preference for the up and coming technology of the codex book.  
Digital publications are not necessarily simpler or easier to produce, 
especially for one (such as the Journal's current editor) for whom the 
digital world is something of a chore.  I happily pass it on to the 
Digital Natives and hope that we will remain a bimedia world for a while 
longer.  Both offer advantages with strings attached so the options must 
remain open and under discussion.
Dorothy Africa

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