google library

In recent library/internet news, google plans to begin scanning the world's books, starting with collections at Oxford, Harvard, Stanford, U. Michigan, and the NY Public Library, and offering searchable collections online. This furthers the dream of an internet that gives the world's citizens access to any information they need, for whatever their purposes. And will presumably build on exitisting extensive digital text projects like the gutenburg project, the internet public library, and the new internet media library project, ourmedia.

A worry about the google project--as opposed to these other non-profit projects--is putting such an important public-good project in the hands of a commercial company. Google can bring enormous amounts of capital to the undertaking, but also bring to the table commercial constraints. Some shareholders will be demanding returns on the investment.

If google's library project brings these texts to the internet, but takes them out of the commons (ie charges fees for their use, and restricts the rights of others to produce digital copies), we will be going very much in the wrong direction. The internet is in part a reinvention of public libraries, embodied by, for instance, the free online encyclopedia, wikipedia. This means free and open access to information to all. The reality on the internet is very different of course, a vast digital mall where information is often doled out for a fee. Still, countless new projects are popping up, inspired by libraries, the free software movement, and open source successes.

Let's hope the google and its partners stay true to the mission of libraries and that the project goes in that direction: towards providing free and unrestricted access to the worlds books, for all to use as they see fit.