On Mon, Jun 26, 2006 at 10:50:10PM +0800, Carolyn MCDONALD wrote:
> I've been listening to the various threads over the last few
> days, and was just pondering that the next gen is all about the
> web being people centric rather than content centric.
> And it seems to me that most of the discussion on the list I have
> seen recently is still about the collection, and just finding new
> and better ways for people to come to us, or take info from us,
> and search/browse/ find/link etc.
I'm glad you brought this up. I have been unsure about posting at
all because I was starting to believe that I'm not looking for the
next generation catalog at all but something else.
It would seem that:
1. To a great extent when I'm looking for content I want to find out
where it is. Note I said content, not item. Tradition catalogs
tell you where to find the book on the shelf.
2. If I'm looking for something, I want the search to encompass my
stuff, my friends stuff, libraries, local bookstores, and
complete strangers who might be willing to share. Do I want a
catalog, a search engine, the pirate bay? You tell me.
3. I want the mechanism of searching to also deliver the documents
when possible. Why should I have to get up from my computer to
get the content?
Over the past year or two, I've been listening to numerous podcasts
including Clay Shirkey's, "ontology is overated"
http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail470.html and Brewster
Kahle discuss distributing book through printing on demand as well
as other aspects of setting up archive.org. I do worry that modern
printed materials will become as inaccessible as medieval
illuminated manuscripts as all media is distributed
electronically. I am also aware that we've got a long way to go. I'm
still trying to get my hands on Sony's OLED based Reader, (SONY -
PRS500) that may be the first truly usable ebook reader.
But as this is the "next generation" isn't it time to stop thinking
in terms of libraries altogether, and to think of an inclusive
social network of individuals and organizations.
--
Josh Kuperman
josh.kuperman_at_gmail.com
Received on Mon Jun 26 2006 - 13:38:12 EDT