Google the Modern Library of Alexandria
For the past 7 years Google has been in the process of creating a universal library. One of their projects is called the Google book search and will make full text books available online which are not copyright protected. Their other project is called The Google Library Project which is in the process of digitalizing as many books as possible by working with great libraries around the world including the New York Public Library where currently one million books are being scanned.
Anthony Grafton in his article entitled Digitalization and its Discontents compares the Google Book project with the Library of Alexandria. The Library of Alexandria was founded at around 320 BC by Ptolomy I. It was meant to be a complete collection of Greek works. It was rumoured that when ships docked in Alexandria they were searched for scrolls and any that were found were taken to the library which would keep the originals and return copies to the owners of the scrolls, very similar to the process of acquisition prescribed to by Google. It was said that the Alexandrian library once contained over a half million scrolls. One of the head librarians, Eratosthenes, used the information in these scrolls and books to estimate the circumfrance of the Earth, and was correct within a hundred miles. In order to manage all this data the scrolls were organized alphabetically for the first time. The Library was destroyed somehow by fire around 25 BC at a great tragedy to humankind for the loss of original manuscripts.
Google’s universal library does bring up issues of copyright although at the same time they are also preserving books, some of which are out of print and they are making these books available online for free, for anyone to access on their home computers. If Google is able to make these online books searchable for key terms I believe this will be the most revolutionary thing to happen to the universal library since alphabetization at Alexandria. Just as Eratosthenes used the resources of his library to accomplish higher aims so will Google allow people to do the same.
For the past 7 years Google has been in the process of creating a universal library. One of their projects is called the Google book search and will make full text books available online which are not copyright protected. Their other project is called The Google Library Project which is in the process of digitalizing as many books as possible by working with great libraries around the world including the New York Public Library where currently one million books are being scanned.
Anthony Grafton in his article entitled Digitalization and its Discontents compares the Google Book project with the Library of Alexandria. The Library of Alexandria was founded at around 320 BC by Ptolomy I. It was meant to be a complete collection of Greek works. It was rumoured that when ships docked in Alexandria they were searched for scrolls and any that were found were taken to the library which would keep the originals and return copies to the owners of the scrolls, very similar to the process of acquisition prescribed to by Google. It was said that the Alexandrian library once contained over a half million scrolls. One of the head librarians, Eratosthenes, used the information in these scrolls and books to estimate the circumfrance of the Earth, and was correct within a hundred miles. In order to manage all this data the scrolls were organized alphabetically for the first time. The Library was destroyed somehow by fire around 25 BC at a great tragedy to humankind for the loss of original manuscripts.
Google’s universal library does bring up issues of copyright although at the same time they are also preserving books, some of which are out of print and they are making these books available online for free, for anyone to access on their home computers. If Google is able to make these online books searchable for key terms I believe this will be the most revolutionary thing to happen to the universal library since alphabetization at Alexandria. Just as Eratosthenes used the resources of his library to accomplish higher aims so will Google allow people to do the same.
If you would like to learn more about the Google Library Project I suggest you watch the documentary entitled Google 2015.
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