Google has big plans to scan every book in print. The copyright holders are none too pleased however. Let us suppose that eventually we do get most books scanned and available on-line. Where does that leave the humble physical library? What about librarians? The process has already began. K.
OT: Future Libraries
Started by ●July 20, 2008
Reply by ●July 20, 20082008-07-20
kronecker@yahoo.co.uk wrote:> > Google has big plans to scan every book in print.The Congressional Record? HA HA HA! Most of that is made up afterwards. All of it is a waste of trees.> The copyright > holders are none too pleased however.Nothing is worth more than publicity. Google will make every piece of crap ever daubed onto paper searchable and then custom-printable or downloadable, with royalties paid. Who votes for an empty stomach?> Let us suppose that eventually we do get most books scanned and > available on-line.They can have my "Asian Anal Lesbian Rampage" when they pry it from my cold, dead thighs.> Where does that leave the humble physical library? What about > librarians? The process has already began.Ever try using Google during a blackout? Hardcopy lasts longer than batteries. Don't put all your goodies into the Library of Alexandria when St. Cyril is about. (Unnecessary roughness called on Hypatia, too.) -- Uncle Al http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/ (Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals) http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/lajos.htm#a2
Reply by ●July 20, 20082008-07-20
kronecker@yahoo.co.uk wrote:> > Google has big plans to scan every book in print.The Congressional Record? HA HA HA! Most of that is made up afterwards. All of it is a waste of trees.> The copyright > holders are none too pleased however.Nothing is worth more than publicity. Google will make every piece of crap ever daubed onto paper searchable and then custom-printable or downloadable, with royalties paid. Who votes for an empty stomach?> Let us suppose that eventually we do get most books scanned and > available on-line.They can have my "Asian Anal Lesbian Rampage" when they pry it from my cold, dead thighs.> Where does that leave the humble physical library? What about > librarians? The process has already began.Ever try using Google during a blackout? Hardcopy lasts longer than batteries. Don't put all your goodies into the Library of Alexandria when St. Cyril is about. (Unnecessary roughness called on Hypatia, too.) -- Uncle Al http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/ (Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals) http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/lajos.htm#a2
Reply by ●July 21, 20082008-07-21
On 21 Jul, 01:29, kronec...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:> Google has big plans to scan every book in print. The copyright > holders are none too pleased however. > Let us suppose that eventually we do get most books scanned and > available on-line. > Where does that leave the humble physical library? What about > librarians? The process has already began.The clock will be winded (wound?) back a few centuries, to the middle ages when only a select few owned books and knew how to use them. In those days that meant only a few people could read. After google implement their plans, it would mean that only those who have access to physical books will be able to learn something new from them. The force with digital libraries is that you very quickly find what you search for. The drawback is that you only find what you search for. Which means that you need to know what to search for in order to find it. One doesn't have to look very far to see that's something of an oxymoron, at least in the context of education and research. Compare that to a library where you just lets the eyes scan the shelves, and you find a fascinating title or name on the back of a book. Or you browse some book and see a headline or figure somewhere, which catches your attention. Nah, all-digital libraries will be a double-edged sword. People will find what they look for. But no more. Rune
Reply by ●July 21, 20082008-07-21
kronecker@yahoo.co.uk wrote:> Google has big plans to scan every book in print. The copyright > holders are none too pleased however. > Let us suppose that eventually we do get most books scanned and > available on-line. > Where does that leave the humble physical library? What about > librarians? The process has already began. >My town's library is already dumping 50% of their books. It looks like all books that might have been written for boys was the criteria for the first culling. I don't understand this thinking. If they want females to excel in these areas, those females have to have access to the literature that talks about them. The current culling is eliminating any mysteries that were written by an author who had the ability to think. /BAH
Reply by ●July 21, 20082008-07-21
Rune Allnor <allnor@tele.ntnu.no> wrote in message 076c840d-7057-4049-a442-5bfd17498cc8@y38g2000hsy.googlegroups.com> On 21 Jul, 01:29, kronec...@yahoo.co.uk wrote: >> Google has big plans to scan every book in print. The copyright >> holders are none too pleased however. >> Let us suppose that eventually we do get most books scanned and >> available on-line. >> Where does that leave the humble physical library? What about >> librarians? The process has already began. > > The clock will be winded (wound?) back a few centuries, to the middle > ages when only a select few owned books and knew how to use them. In > those days that meant only a few people could read. After google > implement their plans, it would mean that only those who have access > to physical books will be able to learn something new from them. > > The force with digital libraries is that you very quickly find what > you search for. The drawback is that you only find what you search > for. Which means that you need to know what to search for in order > to find it. One doesn't have to look very far to see that's something > of an oxymoron, at least in the context of education and research. > > Compare that to a library where you just lets the eyes scan the > shelves, and you find a fascinating title or name on the back of > a book. Or you browse some book and see a headline or figure > somewhere, which catches your attention.Duh. Compare that to sitting before your PC and letting your eyes scan (for instance) the list at http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/23867012/physics+complete?tab=summary> > Nah, all-digital libraries will be a double-edged sword. People > will find what they look for. But no more.You have no idea what, for which you aren't looking, you can find :-) Dirk Vdm
Reply by ●July 21, 20082008-07-21
In talk.politics.guns "Tom Potter" <tdp1001@yahoo.com> wrote:> ><kronecker@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:98837a57-e8bd-4449-84d6-2f5d8c7b41bb@v1g2000pra.googlegroups.com... >> >> Google has big plans to scan every book in print. The copyright >> holders are none too pleased however. >> Let us suppose that eventually we do get most books scanned and >> available on-line. >> Where does that leave the humble physical library? What about >> librarians? The process has already began. > >I have been trying to get someone to >create a tax free organization to >put millions of "Pocket Libraries" >into the "pockets" of kids all over the world.You've been trying to get people to believe that there are only 200 cops in Peking, too, but your reputation as a loon precedes you.
Reply by ●July 21, 20082008-07-21
I have accumulated hundreds of the great books including the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, various constitutions, the works of Shakespeare, Caesar, etc. and formatted them to read nicely on a small screen, Hmmmmmm, interesting. I didn't know The Declaration of Independance and Magna Carta were in book form...................
Reply by ●July 21, 20082008-07-21
Tom Potter wrote:> <kronecker@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:98837a57-e8bd-4449-84d6-2f5d8c7b41bb@v1g2000pra.googlegroups.com... > >>Google has big plans to scan every book in print. The copyright >>holders are none too pleased however. >>Let us suppose that eventually we do get most books scanned and >>available on-line. >>Where does that leave the humble physical library? What about >>librarians? The process has already began. > > > I have been trying to get someone to > create a tax free organization to > put millions of "Pocket Libraries" > into the "pockets" of kids all over the world. > > [snip descriptive info]Some common goals with Project Gutenberg www.gutenberg.org ?
Reply by ●July 21, 20082008-07-21
On 21 Jul, 14:59, "Dirk Van de moortel" <dirkvandemoor...@ThankS-NO- SperM.hotmail.com> wrote:> Rune Allnor <all...@tele.ntnu.no> wrote in message...> > Compare that to a library where you just lets the eyes scan the > > shelves, and you find a fascinating title or name on the back of > > a book. Or you browse some book and see a headline or figure > > somewhere, which catches your attention. > > Duh. > Compare that to sitting before your PC and letting your eyes > scan (for instance) the list atI never do that sort of thing. Finding anything in a digital search requires an active planning on your part. What you find in a physical library you did not assemble yourself is almost random - at least it is up to whatever librarian in charge - and can be very surprising and inspiring. In fact, I always have a look in the bookstores when I come to a new town. The selections they have on stock are more often than not very good indications to what the locals are interested in.> > Nah, all-digital libraries will be a double-edged sword. People > > will find what they look for. But no more. > > You have no idea what, for which you aren't looking, you can find :-)I'm not saying it is impossible to learn something new or find something new in a digital library; I say that most, if not all, people will use it in such a way that they don't. 20 years ago I went to a 'library course' for freshman students. The librarians showed us how to search for literature, using all sorts of records, archives and thesauruses. On paper, all of it, either in terms of file cards or huge books. Finding anything at all would take at least half an hour of work, finding the relevant records, cross-referencing between them, and looking up library archives or journal indexes. True, I 'learned' how to use the library, but I never uses it. Just too much hazzle. Then, a few years later, I got direct network access to the library database. All of a sudden I ordered ten or 20 articles per week. The interesting part is that I never found new stuff in that library (or in IEEExplore, for that matter), I always had a clear idea what I was looking for when I logged on. I find the new stuff - keywords to search for - in physical books I browse and from other people. Rune
