My thoughts:
Much of librarland has turned against its principles and hung out a
big "Go away!" sign to freedom, competition, innovation and anyone
outside the library world who has a good idea or who has the temerity
to think that, since citizens pay for libraries, they have a right to
library data.
The rules are fuzzier than the first draft, but fuzzy rules aren't
necessarily better. A true legal contract offers concrete protections
and rights, which the new rules do not. The effect will be the same:
the brief spring of open bibliographic data is over. You are stuck
with OCLC forever. God help you.
Libraries have undermined their moral authority about access to data
just when ebook licenses are starting to cut libraries out. The future
is clearly licenses, licenses, licenses. The way ebook licensing is
going, that may well be biggest effect.
But, most importantly, the policy is now in place. The time for
talking is over. The time has come to shut up.
Tim Spalding
Received on Mon Jun 21 2010 - 17:32:57 EDT