Title:Computers:Bane or Blessing?

You are free to attend these events whether or not you have a library card from Allen County Public Library. 
 

Computers: Bane or Blessing?

COMPUTERS GREATLY EXPAND ONE’S CAPABILITIES—BUT BEWARE  OF SOME PITFALLS!

In the early 1980’s, one could purchase a Hebrew element for an IBM Selectric and type Hebrew into one’s English-language papers. The one catch was that the element continued to move left to right, requiring one to type in Hebrew backwards. Of course, one could purchase a Selectric made for the Israeli market—but then, English would need to be typed backward, since the element would only move right to left. Today, computers allow one to type in either language in its native direction, transparently making the change for the user. Computers have greatly affected all areas of our life. The library is no exception. Students in Prof. Robert Roethemeyer’s class RES 100, Bibliography and Technology, are learning about some of the uses of computers and technology in the library. They are getting hands-on experience with the wide variety of technologies that computers have made possible. First-year students are automatically enrolled in this class during their first year. Other students interested in taking the class should contact the Registrar’s office.

However, you who are studying to be future pastors should recognize that you can’t trust computers to do all your thinking (or spell checking) for you. Evelyn F. Kaehler, Special Projects Cataloger, DePaul University Libraries, reports an example of the problems that arise when people abdicate to spell checkers. At a meeting for Roman Catholic educators, the “Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas, Patron of Teachers” was printed in the program. The computer evidently did not have the words “deign” or “reign” in its dictionary, and so everyone read “You, who are in truth the Foundation of light and wisdom, design to shed upon the darkness of my understanding...” and even worse, “You who are True God and truly human, who lives and resigns world without end.” Kyrie, eleison! (or, according to the spell checker, “Keri, elision!”). 
 

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