win a prize reading comment

["Robert J. Milevski" <milevski@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Begin forwarded message:  Reading is for those who unfortunately have  
not had the benefit of (book arts) instructors/teachers/mentors  
skilled in empirical teaching methods, who are natural, sympathetic,  
and enthusiastic conveyors of their lifelong skills to those  
(neophytes and novices and sometimes other skilled professionals)  
willing and wanting to learn them.  Better to be an apprentice or  
intern to a great and knowledgeable (and hopefully humble, sharing,  
and outgoing) craftsperson/artist than being an erudite, pedantic,  
and book-learned fool who has little practical experience in the area  
in which she/he wants to become expert(?).

Actually, reading should be a supplement and complement to one's life  
experiences (in the book arts), especially in relation to learning  
from those who have been working in the medium successfully,  
recognizably, and professionally for a long time.  Otherwise, we are  
all watching the same reruns of Barney on television and stamping out  
lookalike, undistinguished and boring Mickey Mouse watches.  Books,  
articles, and other printed/electronic knowledge/learning sources  
merely augment real-life experiences which you have absorbed directly  
and practically.  Even with the information explosion, reading is  
merely a surrogate to practical experience.  This is in apposition to  
those who temporarily adsorb knowledge and are merely insects  
hanging/clinging on to their moments fascination.  Any gadflys out  
there?

Robert J. Milevski
Preservation Librarian
Princeton University Libraries
One Washington Road
Princeton, New Jersey 08544
609-258-5591; fax, 609-258-4105 or -5571; email,  
milevski@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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