Nathan Rinne wrote:
> So, tech-leaders of the library world: everyone think that's a good
> idea? (because if you do, chances are better it will happen). The
> sooner I get an answer to this, the sooner I can start spending all my
> spare time exploring new career options : )
You ask a great question and it's one that has a frightening answer, but it's an answer that the newspapers, the entertainment industry, the entire publishing community are asking: is "open" the way to go? At this point in time, it's just too soon to tell. Google has done very well, but the Rocky Mountain News didn't. The New York Times, too. Did you see: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-june-10-2009/end-times. Terrifying! (But funny!)
Everyone is caught in a Catch-22 right now: if something's not on the web, it beginning to mean that it doesn't exist; you put it on the web, but people don't want to pay for it; people will seek out specific sites more and more rarely and expect it all through a Google search. Plus, in my own opinion, when (not if) the Google Books/Publishers agreement goes through (in some shape or form), and people will get full access to the digitized books, the world of information will change completely. I think it would be more than prudent for libraries to plan what their catalogs and other tools should be in that world.
If we keep everything to ourselves and expect that everyone will seek us out for our knowledge and our "superior data" I think we are sadly mistaken. But putting all of our eggs into the single "Google" basket wouldn't be wise, either. If we share our records--which I think is absolutely essential--it must be with everyone everywhere, so that *people* (not just corporations) can use our records to help them build their own tools so that they can succeed. If they succeed, we succeed.
After all, that's what have always done: we make records and create tools so that the general public can find the information they need so that they can then go on and succeed in whatever it is they are doing.
Now.... do I really believe that "open" is the path to success? I don't know if there is a way out in these difficult times, but I honestly do not believe that "closed" is a solution to any of the challenges facing us.
Jim Weinheimer
Received on Tue Jul 14 2009 - 10:14:52 EDT