“In a session on the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), Robert Darnton, Director of the Harvard University Library, likened the concept to Thomas Jefferson’s observation that often the use of something does not diminish its value. For example, using one candle to light another spreads light and does not diminish the value of the first candle. This idea acquired a 21st century luster with the spread of the Internet. The use of information does not diminish its value. Public good benefits the entire citizenry and one citizen’s benefit does not diminish another’s; it is not a zero-sum game. However in considering these concepts, we must not lose sight that the acquisition of knowledge as a public good is not without cost. (Someone had to purchase Jefferson’s candle!)
“Moving on to the present, Darnton noted that the DPLA is an opportunity to realize the enlightenment and goals upon which our country was founded. Google tried to establish a major digital library and demonstrated that today’s technology could be used to create a new kind of library which, in principle, could contain all the books in existence. But Darnton observed that Google Book Search is an example of a good idea gone bad because of copyright problems and the alleged infringement of it by the Author’s Guild. Google did not pursue a legal case which (if they won) would have provided a significant public benefit, but instead they chose a commercial approach and negotiated a settlement with the Guild. The settlement was rejected by a Federal Court. So the time has come to create a digital library to make our cultural heritage available to the entire world.”
From the post on Conference Circuit by Donald T. Hawkins, Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)