major bookstore chain--uggh!

[Petra Eccarius]

The Barnes and Noble in Lafayette, Indiana (the closest
for Purdue University students) also puts their Sign
Language dictionaries, etc. in the reference section.
It struck me as odd as I know I _have_ seen them in the
foreign language section of other stores...

....petra
--
Petra Eccarius
Graduate Student in Linguistics
Purdue University-West Laffayette
eccarius at purdue.edu




On Fri, 11 Feb 2000, Linda Lee Lonning wrote:

> Hello everyone--
>
> An aside on how we see signed languages treated in
terms of their
> recognition in their placement in libraries and even
in bookstores.  (I
> read the ISO one initial email realllly quickly so
excuse me if I'm not
> capturing the essence of what ISO is exactly used
for.)
>
> It has always rubbed me the wrong way as I peruse my
area bookstores here
> in Milwaukee (I'm talking specifically about our
Barnes and Noble chain
> here) to see ASL  **NOT** in the section for foreign
languages (in the
> case of ASL, and many other languages being present,
please excuse the
> reference to "foreign" in this case...but you see my
point)...but they
> place them in the *reference section (with the
dictionaries, after all,
> you can "learn" sign language by just memorizing a
bunch of pictures,
> right??  Uhhh!  ...OR I also see sign language books
placed by the
> enlarged-print books!  (After all, that's what sign
language is, right?
> An auxillary "device" or mechanism for communication,
right??
> Double-uhhh!!)
>
> I've asked personel at each book store what their
rationale is for the
> placement of sign language books where they are and
explained that it
> would more fairly placed at least with the "foreign"
languages.  I've
> submitted a feedback card to their regional or
corporate office (where
> ever that one was supposed to go)...NO response at
all.  I was told I
> should write something like their regional
headquarters, etc.  Wow.  How
> customer-friendly (?!)  BUT I'm told, the placement
of media for Barnes
> and Noble is decided higher up.
>
> I encourage folks to stop in their local
bookstores/chains and check-out
> where sign language/Deaf culture books are placed as
well.  Let me know
> what you find-- ;) .
>
> Linda L. Lonning, BS, CI & CT
> University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee--Part-time Staff
Interpreter
> Community-based Interpreter with 3 Area Agencies