Two Responses Re: Google and Libraries
Name: J. LandesHometown: London, England
Hi Dr. Eric,
After reading Dr. Vaidhyanathan’s writing about libraries, I couldn't resist. If it is in any way redundant or off-topic, just ignore me.
I would just like to respond to Dr. Vaidhyanathan’s bit on libraries and Google’s digitization process. I am happy to see such a wonderful argument for the place of the library in the community. (I am heading out to find his book, too.) The threats of closings of libraries in Salinas, California, and Bedford, Texas, for the two most publicized cases, as well as reduced hours at many public libraries, are at odds with the verbal support of libraries by the administration. The Institute of Media and Library Services, an independent grant agency, offers federal grants to libraries, but the closings and reduced hours continue. This tension between the support of libraries we profess and the continued funding problems brings the question to the federal, regional and local levels, maybe even to the personal level. Author James Michener called libraries a representation of the "individual's right to acquire knowledge," reminding us that libraries really are an extension of our freedoms and rights.
The politicization of libraries, well, many may argue that’s the American Library Association’s fault, or liberal librarians’ faults. We can all say we support libraries and education, but can we re-arrange our priorities to ask Congress to apportion money to libraries instead of, for example, $500 million in subsidies for deep-water oil and gas drilling? (See 2005 Energy Bill)
As for Google’s project, I don’t see it as attempting to replace libraries, nor do I see it as particularly negative. Google recognizes it: "My guess is [it will be] about 300 years until computers are as good as, say, your local reference library in search." [Craig Silverstein, director of technology, Google.com.] In my opinion, 300 years is awfully ambitious at that. Access to works that many would not be able to see physically is the obvious positive. I am also watching the questions arising about copyright law, which can use the additional examination in the face of new technology, new creator interests and new user needs.
Thanks so much again for letting write about libraries.
Name: William Johnson
Hometown: Bath, MI
Dear Eric,
Siva's article on Friday was very interesting. A couple of counter points. While the gay teen in Boise may have a strong library, the geeky teen in Ionia, MI had a small library, where he did find a few who shared his loves of different books and ideas, but only a very few. He didn't see a "real" library until he enrolled at the University of Michigan. Therefore dismissing out of hand the attempt to digitize the collections at the U of M I think is perhaps showing the "urban" bias of Siva's current lifestyle. When one has access to libraries in state capitals, or "world" capitals as is the case for Siva, one can interact with many different and people. At that small library in Ionia, the selection was OK, but nothing like what is available through the U of M's million's of books. I believe that a library not only is a place for the exchange of ideas, but also a place for those ideas to be stored for easy and basically unfettered access to those that are interested. Google's process helps, in it's way, this to occur.