Page 181 - Battleground The Media Volume 1 and 2

1 0 | Google Book Search

the royal liBrary oF alexandria
The goal of acquiring all knowledge and storing it in one location predates Google Book
Search by over two thousand years. The Royal Library of Alexandria, Egypt was rumored to
house 500,000 scrolls as well as lecture halls and study areas. Scientists from throughout the
ancient world converged there to research mathematics, astronomy, mechanics, medicine,
and literature. Modern scholars debate the details of its destruction, as accusations range
from Julius Caesar to a series of subsequent invaders. Yet the call for the library’s resurrec-
tion has been touted by many thinkers ever since, most notably H.G. Wells and his vision of
“The World Brain.”

ThE FuTurE oF LiBrariEs

For large-scale research universities, Google Book Search means that librar-
ies will have to adjust to Google’s method of search as the primary means of
interface. Overall, libraries will confront more pressure to digitize their collec-
tions, and there is a chance that some overlapping materials will be condensed
to save time, money, and space. (For example, does the University of California
system really need nine copies of every single document the U.S. government
publishes?) As many of these big libraries are armed with considerable budgets,
there will be more of a shift in resources than outright elimination of services.
The University of Texas at Austin, for example, moved almost all the books from
its undergraduate library to other libraries on campus so that its main space
could be transformed into an “information commons” featuring 1,000 reference
books and hundreds of computer terminals.
However, smaller libraries at less wealthy institutions might face dramatic
changes. Community colleges can eliminate stacks of books and convert storage
space into teaching space, as they will now be able to rely on digital access and
interlibrary loans to fill many of their content needs. Librarians at these institu-
tions will shift their focus from developing collections to guiding students in
how to navigate the Web, write term papers, and apply for jobs.
If one can imagine the contents of the community college library disappear-
ing, then a potentially similar fate looms for local public libraries. Since libraries
often compete for funding with entities such as fire and police departments, it is
easy to imagine books being shared online or across county lines. After all, if the
average library user can get virtually anything he or she wants on Google, then
why would a local city council bother opening new library branches to serve a
potentially dwindling public?

DaTa, PrivaCy, anD govErnmEnT suBPoEnas
In today’s economy, technology is used to track almost every transaction.
Credit card companies keep histories of every purchase made with the con-
venience of plastic—from shoes to airline tickets to packs of gum. Cell phone
operators have records of every phone call; travel can be traced through the use