[10913] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
FYI France: _Internet Digital Libraries_ "France" ch.p.4/4
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jack Kessler)
Mon Dec 16 20:53:56 1996
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 16:56:53 -0600 (CST)
From: Jack Kessler <kessler@well.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
FYI France: _Internet Digital Libraries_, "France" chapter, part 4/4
[The following is the final installment of the excerpted chapter on
"France" from _Internet Digital Libraries: the International Dimension_
(Boston and London : Artech House, December, 1996).
[Parts 1 and 2 last month described the BPI, INIST, the BMLyon, FRANTEXT /
ARTFL , the IRCAM / Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique -
Musique, Minitel, the Ministry of Culture's work, and the BIBLIO-FR
econference; Part 3 the BNF, and the possibility of a new BN d'Art.
[Here, in this concluding Part 4: Internet Digital Libraries, the
International Dimension -- Some Common Themes in the French Case.]
** Some Common Themes in the French Case.
The common themes suggested by these examples of Digital Libraries in
France are several.
The first is a common interest in the exhibition of what is a remarkable
national cultural heritage. French pride in their nation's cultural
achievement, particularly the long history of this record, is enormous,
and is well - illustrated in the development of the French approach to
the construction of Digital Libraries.
A second strand, though, somewhat modifies this first: multi - lingual
access is of great concern to the French -- almost all of their Digital
Libraries efforts which can be found online provide some form of multi -
lingual access.
This perhaps is an admission of the degree of difficulty and limited
reach of their own national language: the French themselves at times are
even less confident in this regard than foreigners are. But it also
shows an understanding of the role of their nation in a multi - national
world, an understanding not shown by English - language nations: the
rest of the world doesn't speak the French language -- and the French
appear to realize that if they are to communicate with the outside non -
French world they at least must do so in the language of the users.
A third, particularly - French, strand in Digital Libraries development
is the enormous prestige accorded there to digital affairs as a national
priority. Interest in the digital revolution is high in most places in
the world now, but few have placed it so high on the national
development agenda as have the French.
It takes the form of a personal crusade in Paris, among some decision -
makers: the French ambassador to the US and the national Minister of
Culture both have posted messages to BIBLIO - FR, the French librarians'
e - conference -- the prime minister of the country himself chaired the
October 1995 meeting which decreed that the Internet would be brought
too all French citizens for the price of a local telephone call in 1996.
Politicians elsewhere give Cyberspace much lip service, but few outside
those in the US have become this personally involved.
Libraries and librarians in France never have been considered separate
from governmental functions and certainly concerns, as they have in the
US. In France culture is a national concern, with its own national
Ministry, civil servants, statutes and administrative structures.
The French would not consider libraries to be a matter for uncontrolled
private enterprise any more than they would consider this for hospitals
or schools. They even have difficulty imagining telecommunications,
originally considered a national security matter of high priority, to be
a candidate for privatization and reduced government control.
The general attitude toward government control and active participation
is very different in France from the US, but perhaps is more similar to
its situation elsewhere: France and other countries did not have a
Thoreau who taught that "that government is best which governs least".
Digitization, insofar as it became a French national priority, logically
would be imposed upon French schools and hospitals and libraries,
following a political logic found elsewhere and considered strange
perhaps only in the US.
There is, finally, central government involvement and support for
Digital Libraries and online efforts generally. In the US, where the
national central government sponsored the earliest Internet beginnings,
subsequent developments have been funded largely by private industry,
and now private industry seems to be taking over the enterprise as a
whole. The French model, then, insofar as nations elsewhere also have
strong central government participation in anything digital or networked
-- at least in its beginnings overseas -- may be highly relevant to
other non - US cases, and perhaps even more relevant.
References:
[1] See the online version of the exhibit at
http://www.bnf.fr/loc/bnf0001.htm and, Tesnie`re, Marie - He'le`ne and
Prosser Gifford, eds., _Creating French Culture: Treasures from the
Bibliothe`que nationale de France_, New Haven: Yale University Press,
c1995, ISBN 0 - 300 - 06283 - 4; although this thesis is, like anything
by or about the French, controversial -- see Kessler, Jack, "Treasures
of the Bibliothe`que Nationale at the Library of Congress, and now on W3
/ the WorldWideWeb", _FYIFrance_, January 15, 1996,
gopher://library.berkeley.edu:72/00/ejrnls/FYIFrance/1996/FYIFrance.01.1
5.96, ISSN 1071 - 5916.
[2] Melot, Michel, "Les Nouveaux Enjeux de la Normalisation", _Bulletin
des Bibliothe`ques de France_, Vol. 38, No. 5, 1993, p.10 -- text
extract appearing here has been translated by Jack Kessler.
[3] Tre'sors de la Langue Franc,aise -- http://www.ciril.fr/inalf-
bin/wncgi/tlf-showps?main.tlf .
[4] http://gopher.well.sf.ca.us:70/0/Publications/FYIFrance/fyi.93.05.15
.
[5] Collard, Claude, Isabelle Giannattasio and Michel Melot, _Les Images
dans les Bibliothe`ques_, Paris: Editions du Cercle de la Librairie,
1995, ISBN 2765405778.
[Footnotes have been omitted here.]
XXX
The book's full outline:
Internet Digital Libraries: The International Dimension
by Jack Kessler, kessler@well.sf.ca.us
Part I: Setting the Stage
Chapter 1: The Internet Goes Public -- A New Story, Digital Information
Chapter 2: Digitization in Libraries -- An Old Story, Information and
Libraries
Chapter 3: Incunabula -- The Development of Digital Libraries in the US
Part II: Specifics -- National
Chapter 4: France -- Flexible Centralization
Chapter 5: Singapore -- Rigid Centralization
Chapter 6: China -- Chinese Uniqueness
Chapter 7: India -- An Awakening Giant
Chapter 8: Australia -- The Antipodes, and the Sheer Reach of Digital
Information
Chapter 9: Thailand -- The Blending of Worlds, Third and Other
Chapter 10: The UK -- Crowded Pipes
Chapter 11: Hungary -- Phenomenon of the Stranger
Chapter 12: Japan -- Investing vs. Consuming
Chapter 13: Indonesia -- The Rest of Asia, and the World
Chapter 14: National Government -- the NSF Digital Libraries Projects,
in the US
Part III: Specifics -- International
Chapter 15: Language
Chapter 16: Politics and Political Structures
Chapter 17: Technical Standards
Chapter 18: Business
Chapter 19: International Organizations
Part IV. Generalities -- International
Chapter 20: Media and Messages -- Is the Pipe Neutral?
Chapter 21: Libraries and Information -- Warehouses and Services?
Chapter 22: Human Users -- Fitting Something New In -- Wine and Bottles,
Chickens and Eggs
Appendix A: French Libraries Online -- the vast range of possibilities
for Digital Libraries access overseas, including some not on the
Internet but nonetheless Digital and accessible.
Appendix B: Electronic Conferences in France -- professional development
possibilities online -- the future for the Digital Library, in any
country -- one national example.
Appendix C: A Small Statistical Essai -- a "try" or "attempt" at not
answering but at least asking a few general questions about the
phenomenally - expanding international use of the Internet, based
loosely on some brave statistics - gathering efforts which others have
undertaken.
Appendix D: Digital Libraries so - called -- some unsophisticated
"content analysis".
Glossary
Annotated Bibliography and Resource List
General Index
Ordering information: from the publishers at http://www.artech-house.com .
The ISBN number is 0-89006-875-5.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Jack Kessler, kessler@well.sf.ca.us
XXX
FYI France (sm)(tm) e - newsletter ISSN 1071 - 5916
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Suggestions, reactions, criticisms, praise, and poison - pen letters
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