[15688] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Supporting Google (from a library perspective)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Stephen Davis)
Thu Feb 17 22:00:20 2005
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Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.2.20050217113145.022d65c0@imap.columbia.edu>
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 12:14:35 -0500
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
From: Stephen Davis <daviss@COLUMBIA.EDU>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
In-Reply-To: <20050216151459.14324.qmail@web52802.mail.yahoo.com>
Judging from the page he references below, Mr. Ehrenfels has a particular
and fairly extreme set of grievances against Google that don't necessarily
overlap with those I've heard in the library community. (Whatever
reservations we librarians may have about Google, we generally tend to
favor free speech and resist most forms of the kind of censorship Mr.
Ehrenfels appears to advocate, believing that the antidote to unwanted free
speech is more free speech -- or the courts, if the speech is libelous. I
think it's also fair to say that most librarians feel strongly that "common
carriers" -- whether they be phone companies, ISPs or web indexing
companies -- should not be asked or allowed to monitor or manage legally
protected speech. )
Although I see many difficult issues with GooglePrint and other Google
projects, I think it's fair to say that Google, Yahoo and a few other Web
search and indexing services have already succeeded in doing more to
improve access to information and knowledge for the general public than
virtually all library efforts over the last 20 years combined. Together
with the Web itself, they have revolutionized the way people seek and
obtain information for all aspects of their lives.
Google hasn't succeeded in providing good filtering, analytical or
evaluative tools so far, but that's something that librarians and infosci
people need to step up to the plate and help with. Librarians also need
to help insure that when we own or control good, high quality digital
content, it is made broadly available and identifiable in Google so it can
be readily distinguished from all the bad, bogus and downright scary
information that's out there.
Most library-based critiques of Google, Google Print and Google Scholar so
far have tended to sound elitist, sour grapeish and/or alarmist. I think
it's up to the library community to come up with an effective response that
recognizes the enormous contribution Google is making but also helps
clarify and leverage the ways in which libraries and Google differ in their
mission and objectives.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen Paul Davis ~ Director, Libraries Digital Program
Columbia University Libraries, New York, NY
email: daviss@columbia.edu ~ ph(212)854-8584 fax(212)854-0089
--------------------------------------------------------------
>Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 07:14:59 -0800
>Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
>Sender: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
>Comments: DomainKeys? See http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys
>From: "J. Wyatt Ehrenfels" <jwyattehrenfels@YAHOO.COM>
>Subject: Re: Critiquing Google (from a library perspective)
>To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
>
>I have actually been critical of Google's role as a
>defamation delivery system and invasion of privacy.
>
>http://www.fireflySun.com/book/Google.php
