Search/retrieve access is to library data what Gopher was to the web?

Hi all,

I am simply going to throw down the gauntlet and say that search/ 
retrieve access to library data is not good enough. For too long have  
library data been trapped within data-silos only accessible through  
obscure protocols. Why is access to library data still an issue? This  
was solved in a matter of months on the web, when Excite (or whichever  
search engine was first) was introduced. Why are there not at least  
ten search engines containing the majority of the worlds bibliographic  
data?

Yes, I am stating/asking the obvious.

So, Linked Data for libraries, anyone?

Best regards,
   Martin, who really wants a discussion about Linked Data