[13144] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: netLibrary
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Mark Bay)
Mon Mar 13 20:20:33 2000
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 10:22:39 -0600
From: Mark Bay <mbay@UH.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <4.2.0.58.20000308091319.03271240@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20000310102239.00914b70@bayou.uh.edu>
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Lloyd makes a good point about netLibrary...printing is controlled to help
maintain copyright integrity. One problem though: who honestly wants to
read a book from a computer screen? This is why it will be many, many
years before books begin to fade. From an ergonomics standpoint, it is
easier on the eyes to read from print than from even the best screens
available. Also, you can put a book in your bag, walk out under a tree,
and read all afternoon. The current limitations of computing technology,
such as finite battery life and the expense of wireless/cellular modems,
would make this a good deal more difficult and certainly far more expensive
than using a book.
So, while this model allows netLibrary to legally exist, I'm not sure of
the point, unless it is to deliver short shelf life reference books that
don't require reading the entire thing to get anything out of it.
Booklover and proud of it,
Mark
At 09:51 AM 3/8/00 -0600, you wrote:
> NetLibrary uses a trusted systems* approach to make materials
>accessible in a tightly controlled environment.
>
> They do scan many materials in themselves and currently they are displayed
>in as HTML documents but their stored data can be converted easily to XML
>or other formats.
>
>
> *Mark Stefik (Xerox PARC), Trusted Systems, Scientific American March,
>1997, p.78-81
> Mark Gimbel, Some thoughts on the implications of trusted systems for
>intellectual property law, Stanford Law Review, May 1998, v50 #5, p.1671-1687
>
*************************************************
Mark T. Bay
Education / Social Sciences Reference Librarian
M.D. Anderson Library
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-2091
(713) 743-9767
mbay@uh.edu
*************************************************
