gmtPLUS09 | live from Seoul

The announcement of Google Print made many librarians and archivists
ecstatic. The service announced by Google is to digitize millions of
library books into searchable Web pages.

But these same people are left to reexamine their core commitment to
spreading knowledge freely. Letting a for-profit organization like
Google mediate access to library books could open up long-hidden
reserves of human wisdom or constitute the first step toward
privatizing it.

Another concern is the exemption from copyright laws, which allows
libraries to allow many readers to use the same book. Publishers and
authors depend on the strict copyright laws to prevent copying and
reuse of their intellectual property (IP) until after they have
recouped their investments. The mass digitization of library books will
threaten to make the content portable and piracy prone (like music and
movie sharing).

Also, the very existence of libraries and the occupations of
librarians are in question. With printed knowledge now available on the
Web, where people can access it from their homes, offices, and mobile
devices, will libraries continue to exist? How will the digitization
change the habits of library go-ers? Checking out a book can become the
next legacy to fade such as visiting a travel agent to book a flight,
or sending a handwritten letter by mail.

Link: The Infinite Library.

Related: Googling irks France; France Detects a Cultural Threat in Google

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 21st, 2005 at 3:34 pm and is filed under Innovation, Books. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.