Comments on: Applying Newton’s Third Law to human behavior: institutions have mass http://purplemotes.net/2007/07/23/applying-newton%e2%80%99s-third-law-to-human-behavior-institutions-have-mass/ a journal of whimsy and hope Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:58:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Grete http://purplemotes.net/2007/07/23/applying-newton%e2%80%99s-third-law-to-human-behavior-institutions-have-mass/#comment-1059 Grete Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:39:58 +0000 http://purplemotes.net/2007/07/23/applying-newton%e2%80%99s-third-law-to-human-behavior-institutions-have-mass/#comment-1059 Thank you for wading through such messy stats and sharing your results. I'm always surprised when librarians don't report per capita circulation. A rare ARL study summarized per capita circ in academic libraries but only from 1995 till 2008 (see http://bit.ly/kshapD), your going as far back as 1850 is very cool - and useful :-) Great blog! Thank you for wading through such messy stats and sharing your results.

I’m always surprised when librarians don’t report per capita circulation. A rare ARL study summarized per capita circ in academic libraries but only from 1995 till 2008 (see http://bit.ly/kshapD), your going as far back as 1850 is very cool – and useful :-)

Great blog!

]]> By: Douglas Galbi http://purplemotes.net/2007/07/23/applying-newton%e2%80%99s-third-law-to-human-behavior-institutions-have-mass/#comment-1058 Douglas Galbi Sat, 01 Sep 2007 17:28:28 +0000 http://purplemotes.net/2007/07/23/applying-newton%e2%80%99s-third-law-to-human-behavior-institutions-have-mass/#comment-1058 Good questions. Unfortunately, I don't have the answers. If I come across any relevant data or analysis, I'll post it. Good questions. Unfortunately, I don’t have the answers. If I come across any relevant data or analysis, I’ll post it.

]]> By: The Topiary Cow http://purplemotes.net/2007/07/23/applying-newton%e2%80%99s-third-law-to-human-behavior-institutions-have-mass/#comment-1057 The Topiary Cow Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:19:13 +0000 http://purplemotes.net/2007/07/23/applying-newton%e2%80%99s-third-law-to-human-behavior-institutions-have-mass/#comment-1057 Very interesting research and analysis on library usage and circulation. I'd like to see you delve into exactly what happened or went wrong around 1975 to have such an effect on book borrowing. Was it the introduction of videotapes (as you detail that half the decrease was attributable to increase in video borrowing?) Or, as I believe, was it the relaxation of mental health laws which de-institutionalized so many mental patients with the result that they made the libraries their homes, thus displacing those 'citizens with administrative rights' to borrow books. By displacement, I mean not that there were no seats left in the library, but that with the influx of homeless or mentally ill, and lack of strictures upon their behavior in the library, the atmosphere of the library changed from welcoming to dangerous, from comfortable to uncomfortable, from a regular routine visit to someplace to be avoided. Regards... Very interesting research and analysis on library usage and circulation.
I’d like to see you delve into exactly what happened or went wrong around 1975 to have such an effect on book borrowing.
Was it the introduction of videotapes (as you detail that half the decrease was attributable to increase in video borrowing?)

Or, as I believe, was it the relaxation of mental health laws which de-institutionalized so many mental patients with the result that they made the libraries their homes, thus displacing those ‘citizens with administrative rights’ to borrow books.

By displacement, I mean not that there were no seats left in the library, but that with the influx of homeless or mentally ill, and lack of strictures upon their behavior in the library, the atmosphere of the library changed from welcoming to dangerous, from comfortable to uncomfortable, from a regular routine visit to someplace to be avoided.

Regards…

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