Make no mistake Wikipedia is a tremendous digital asset to our culture. It is a breath of open access in an increasingly restrictive society. Its born of the seeds of true democracy and freedom of expression. I have referenced information found there many times in my blog posts.Unfortunately, open access has an Achilles heel. The very openness that makes Wikipedia possible is also the thorn which will keep it from becoming the dictionary of the 21st Century.There is an article at Inside Higher Ed entitled "A Stand Against Wikipedia" which addresses the challenge facing academia. It talks about the history...
The Digital Battle For Our Literary Heritage: The Internet Archive vs. Google
"Libraries exist to preserve society's cultural artifacts and to provide access to them. If libraries are to continue to foster education and scholarship in this era of digital technology, it's essential for them to extend those functions into the digital world." One of the most important battles in the book world today is the fight for who gets to digitally archive our literary heritage.From the leading university libraries to the great collections housed in our public institutions decisions are being made that could potentially alter access to the treasure trove of material that lies within their walls.It is an idea...
Libraries Need Computers – Libraries Need the Gates Foundation
The first shower of news from the ALA Mid-winter Meetings here is in Seattle was the Gates Foundation pledging another 5 years of support so "public libraries serving low-income communities continue to provide free, high-quality computer and Internet services and training to their communities".Some interesting numbers from the release:-14 million people rely on library computers to further their education, look for work and to get health and government information.-almost 40 percent of Americans are still lacking Internet access at home.-the Gates Foundations has contributed over $325 million to date to library technology initiatives to overcome the "digital divide"Our hats go...
Reading Recycled: Time to Print Green
There is a quiet green storm brewing in the book world. A storm that has been a long time coming, long overdue and when it hits will change the face of publishing forever.The Independent has a brief take on the push by authors and some publishers to print their books on recycled paper.The lowlight:-"pulp and paper mills produce ... some of the most toxic substances on Earth" wrote poet and green activist Mandy Haggith in an article published in Mslexia magazine.Think of the smell of some of the new books you opened recently.A few highlights:-The Canadian editions of all the...
Books: Espresso Style or Another Nail in the Coffin of the New Bookstore
And finally I'm going to thank all the booksellers of the world. Remember, Brokeback Mountain was a book before it was a movie. From the humblest paperback exchange to the masters of the great bookshops of the world, all are contributors to the survival of the culture of the book. A wonderful culture, which we mustn't lose. Thank you." --Larry McMurtry from his Oscar acceptance speech March 5, 2006The number of independent new bookstores in the U.S has gone from around 4,700 in 1993 to about 2,500 today. In 13 years close to 50% of shops that sell new books...