[Air-L] exporting an even older technology

[nsenga at mediom.qc.ca]

Professor Wellman,

Since I understand you are retiring and "consolidating offices", have you
considered perhaps assisting Vietnamese students and teachers to CRITICALLY
read the books you are "exporting" to them?

I received a similar request several years ago from my former Department at
the University of Nairobi, for old Design books and old computers. I just
declined...! I rather proposed to start a locally inspired Design incubator
for graduates, to slowly  bring them to invent and innovate their own
indigenous materials and equipments; eventually with some Canadian remote
guidance...

Francois
Montreal




Original Message:
-----------------
From: Barry Wellman wellman at chass.utoronto.ca
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:05:47 -0400
To: air-l at aoir.org
Subject: [Air-L] exporting an even older technology


I am now exporting to the third world an even older technology than PCS,
one that is also subject to insects and moisture, but may have a longer
shelf life:
BOOKS!

I'm consolidating offices, and after 40 years of being a prof., I have 50
cartons of books to give away. Turns out, University of Toronto library
doesn't want them. Books are so twentieth century!

But Vietnam's universities do!
And are willing to pay for shipping.
As I moved to Canada to be a prof. in 1967, that the books will end up in
Vietnam is a happy circumstance.

Hey, hey, LBJ -- how many books did you burn today?

The discussion on this list by Denise, etc strikes a note, as my student
just returned from three happy months in rural eastern Ghana. She
got to use a computer by bicyling over to the nearby hotel. And her school
built a website, even though they don't have a PC. (BTW, she reports that
Paris Hilton is the best known American in her area.)

 Barry Wellman

PS: In case you're wondering, consolidating offices, but certainly not
retiring.

 _______________________________________________________________________

  S.D. Clark Professor of Sociology, FRSC              NetLab Director
  Centre for Urban & Community Studies           University of Toronto
  455 Spadina Avenue          Room 418          Toronto Canada M5S 2G8
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