« At the Open Archive presentation | Main | Paul Ngyuen, Scribe Scanner Operator »
October 26, 2005
Open Library presentation redux, my commentary
Jessamyn has an excellent write up of the entire presentation.
Some links to partners that Jessamyn missed include: University of Toronto, California Digital Library, and the Missouri Botanical Garden.
My comments, in addition to Jessamyn's write up:
- To paraphrase Lulu.com's Gart Davis: this is hard, which is why it hasn't been done, and it's going to take everyone involved and then some to make it all happen. If this thing is really, really done right, it could demolish Google Print. With this many smart, devoted vendors supporting the shared mission of an online library utopia, I really think it's possible.
- Both MSN Search *and* Yahoo are here. And MSN Search is planning on funding 150,000 books in the next year for the Open Library project.
- In parallel to the ongoing theme of Internet Librarian, specifically the "let me be your filter" notion, and adding the human aspect back into technology through social computing, The Open Library has the human element that Google Print does not. And, even if Google Print does want to privatize content, the Open Library will continue to work towards helping libraries and working on public domain content and collaboratively with publishers, which means they win no matter what.
I'm totally sold.
October 26, 2005 12:17 AM