Story on NPR:
Google wants to give you access to its huge database of scanned, out-of-print books, but the company is going to charge for it. Robert Darnton, head librarian at Harvard University, says the deal violates a basic American principle — that knowledge should be free and accessible to all.
The basis behind this story has been mentioned on LISNEWS before. In the New York Review of Books, Robert Darnton, wrote a piece called Google & the Future of Books that is dated February 12, 2009.
Walt Crawford has commentary on the Google Book Settlement in the current Cites and Insights. Link to PDF.
Google v. Harvard
So, is public access to Harvard’s library system free?
And let’s start worrying about Google’s “dominating” when they do something a little m ore nefarious than suggesting they might charge for a service. If they get bad, someone will come in and fill the niche. Until then I don’t see what the whinging is about.
“Robert Darnton, head
“Robert Darnton, head librarian at Harvard University, says the deal violates a basic American principle — that knowledge should be free and accessible to all.”
So Harvard isn’t paying for any databases? I haven’t listened to the story but that sentence of synopsis seems a little ridiculous.
Whinger
When this guy sends me free copies of the 21 books he has written I will listen to him tell me how information should be free.
Knowledge should be free and
Knowledge should be free and accessible to all?
Even the creators of the constitution wouldn’t have agreed to that. Oh wait a minute they didn’t by creating copyright laws that still screw us over today!
I agree with Mr. Darnton
I think what he is trying to say is that Google is going to charge for-profit fees! I definitely agree that Google is scanning /digitizing to make lots of profit in future. Susie C in NJ