“Given the worldwide climate of cutting libraries, the recent proposal for the establishment of a ‘Digital Public Library of America’ (DPLA) would seem to be either the product of a castles-in-the-sky delusions, or the result of watching too many Star Trek reruns. But it’s worth thinking through the DPLA for a few moments before dismissing it as unrealistic.”
“Last month, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard said it would coordinate a planning program for public and private groups interested in creating a ‘digital public library of America.”
“What is the ultimate goal of American libraries? That question has persistently nagged at me since library school, and I’ve become convinced the answer for 21st century libraries lies in the 18th century intellectual and cultural movement known as the Enlightenment.”
“In a private meeting convened by Pforzheimer University Professor Robert Darnton—arranged by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and funded by a private foundation—42 leaders of research libraries, major foundations, and national cultural institutions met in Cambridge to discuss how to work together toward the creation of a Digital Public Library of America.”
“By drawing on databases that already exist and that contain millions of books from the public domain, we can lay a firm foundation for the DPLA and build incrementally from there.”
“The Berkman Center for Internet and Society, a research program at Harvard Law School, announced December 13 that it will administer a collaborative effort whose goal is to create an overarching and open governing structure under which ongoing digitization projects, such as the HathiTrust and others, would willingly work.”
“The Berkman Center for Internet and Society, a research program at Harvard Law School, announced December 13 that it will administer a collaborative effort whose goal is to create an overarching and open governing structure under which ongoing digitization projects, such as the HathiTrust and others, would willingly work.”
“A National Digital Public Library that Harvard Library Director, Professor Robert Darnton has been talking and writing about for many months and others (for example, TeleRead Founder David Rothman have been talking and writing about for years) will soon be the topic of a research and planning initiative that will be hosted by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at the Harvard University Law School.”
“Harvard Law’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society has announced a ‘research and planning initiative’ to construct and open a so-called digital public library.”
From David Rothman: “But there is one thing I currently cannot do with my Kindle despite all the sizzle in the commercials–read public library books.”
