Comments on: More on Libraries

By: derivative work » Blog Archive » essence of library

derivative work » Blog Archive » essence of library — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 00:57:30 +0000

[...] Michael M then responded to Siva with some discussion of the essence of a library, ultimately concluding that we really have to talk about libraries in terms of information flows. And then he brings it back to Google: Do we experience Google Print content as we experience other collections that we regard as libraries, or do we experience that content as we experience the Web — a functionally unlimited aggregation of data? Right now, the answer to that question has to rely on intuition and speculation. My money is on the second option, but in the end: who knows? [...]

By: SIVACRACY.NET: Opinions, Rants, and Obsessions of Siva Vaidhyanathan and his Friends and Family

Wed, 17 Aug 2005 18:10:34 +0000

The Madisonian Take on Libraries

Michael Madison offers his thoughts on libraries: I’m not a professional librarian, and I didn’t train at library school or in IS, so I don’t have a professional librarian’s sense of mission. I like libraries. But I have to ask…

By: Copyfight

Copyfight — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 15:12:20 +0000

Google Print Is As Google Print Does

Michael Madison offers his .02 on the still-raging Google Print library debate: In response to Sivas post about Google Print and fair use, Laura Quilter weighs in, hoping to push the definition of “library” in Googles direction and toward…

By: cjovalle

cjovalle — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 12:09:00 +0000

I created a new blog entry with a longer response, but in summary: By “real” fair use argument, I meant an actual fair use argument rather than a Section 108 library exemption argument. I also don’t think that “Google is doing what a library does” is particularly fair to libraries in this case.

By: copy this blog » Blog Archive » Google as Library Rhetoric

copy this blog » Blog Archive » Google as Library Rhetoric — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 03:03:49 +0000

[...] OK- Madisonian.net has some responses to my comments, and responses that don’t quite address what I was talking about (probably due to my unclear writing). The message is addressing the rhetorical argument of treating Google as a library, and asks the question, “What is a library?” Now, I do have an MLIS. I have studied libraries, I value the institution and I value the professional mission- and I don’t have an incredibly good answer to that question. More in a bit. [...]

By: Steven Chabot

Steven Chabot — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 23:44:21 +0000

My question and interest is this: what if the distinction between traditional “libraries” and “functionally unlimited aggregations of data” is lost with the advent of digital media. What if we don’t even experience libraries like libraries anymore?

It is clear that the philosophical basis of the copyright argument was grounded in print culture, and it like “fair use” will have to be reconfigured for the digital change we are experiencing. Therefore, while we can argue the specific merits of whether Google Print is “not being evil”, someone is going to eventually digitize these works, and the general legal and philosophical issues will have to be addressed.