Digital Libraries - Are they the future?

Purpose & Approach

I read the article Digital Libraries: Shifting the Landscape and it was written in August 2009. Google has a digitization project where they are trying to get access to copyrighted digitized books. Before they can truly fulfill their goal they need to get approval from the authors and publishers.  Some universities have already partnered with Google and began digitizing their libraries. The article mentioned that the University of Virginia as already partnered with Google and removed 50,000 physical volumes from the Curry School of Education library and replaced them with almost 50,000 digitalized volumes. The authors of this article, Glen Bull and Martha Sites, are both advocators for this project. Glen Bull is a volunteer columnist for Learning & Leading as well as the co-director of Center for Technology and Teacher Education at Curry School of Education.  Martha Sites is an associate university librarian at the University of Virginia and a leader for technology research and instruction. The article mentions the opportunities digitalized libraries and electronic readers would have for educators and the students.  One opportunity was that by having electronic copies allows a book to be in two locations at once. Also by having multiple ways to access vital information offers opportunities to rethink the ways teaching and learning takes place in the classroom. The article also discusses how electronic readers, like the Kindle, were finding their way into the mainstream and the many benefits both students and teachers would receive.  An example is the text-to-speech option where the students can increase their comprehension and focus as they read.  Now being year 2012 we all know that this is quite accurate. Some of us have already seen the benefits of having an electronic reader or iPad.  Jacob Weisberg, editor-in-chief of Slate, I think made quite an accurate assumption when he stated that “the 500-year marriage between printing and reading may be nearing its end.” Librarians also expressed their views on having a digitalized library: “patrons use 20% of collection 80% of the time… how about retain 20% of collections in physical format and fabricate others publications as needed.”   I defiantly think the librarians made a good point. Why not utilize the technology that is being vastly available?

Personal Connection

I would defiantly support the Google digitalization project and feel they are defiantly going in the right direction when it comes to technology and education combining forces.  Digitalized books I see having more pros than cons. The possibilities are endless when you have all the knowledge in the palm of your hand. In my own classrooms I would support having electronic readers because they can be used in all aspects of the curriculum. I see them providing the students a more rounded view on history and better opportunities to learn new things. By scanning every printed book into a digital copy not only protects the knowledge contained in that book (lost, stolen, burned, etc…), but also gives people more access to information. 

Conclusion

I share the same optimism as Jacob when it comes to electronic reading and I agree when he stated that this “will bring more good than harm … and that new modes of communication will spur new forms while breathing life into old ones.” Because this article was written in 2009 and I had to do some extra research to see what ended up happening with Google’s project. I thought it was a great idea and here is what I found.

In 2005, the Association of American Publishers sued Google for their digitalization (book-scanning) project. The University Librarian, Anne Kenney, from Cornell Library even submitted a letter to the court that stated her reservations, but also recognized the “inestimable… potential benefit to research in Google’s project.” Despite the support Google got from other universities like Cornell University Library and University of Michigan and their willingness to pay the authors/publishers for their work. On March 22, 2011 the U.S. Court of Appeals judge rejected the proposed deal from Google and they were not allowed to display full books online that are currently under copyright. Google does have the scanned material in their database, but they are not allowed to provide full-digital copies because their database still falls under copyright law. The Universities still support and participate in Google’s scanning project. Google has an agreement with the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) to scan CIC library materials and the library materials at the University of Minnesota. Professor Barbara Correll English made a very good statement about the Court’s decision: “I understand concerns on the part of publishing authors who earn royalties…the federal court decision seem to reflect this and to support traditional ideas on intellectual property”.

Now reflecting on what Barbara said about the court’s support for traditional ideas on intellectual property really reminded me of a time in history we call the ‘Dark Ages”. During this time it was going against the Church and viewed as a sin to want to read and gain knowledge. The Church felt that the knowledge gained from these books went against their beliefs because it made people question their authority. Books were burned and anything not related to the words of the Bible or the Church was destroyed. The Church knew that knowledge was power and they did not want to lose control. Today’s Courts are stuck on their ‘traditional ideas’ and now we have the opportunity to expose students to an unlimited amount of knowledge at their fingertips. I say embrace it and don’t let the possibility of history being forgotten happen.

Implication

This article aligns with the third NET standard ‘Research and Information Fluency’ for student learning.  The future of digitizing and the benefits it provides is a good tool to be aware of.  Students would learn new ways of applying those tools to ‘gather, evaluate, and use information’.   By having access to a digital copy you are not limited to the library for research, but can access your information in a variety of ways.  Students will also be able to ‘evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks’.

 

Here is the APA reference to this article:

Bull, G., & Sites, M. (2009, August). Digital Libraries: Shifting the Landscape. Leading and

        Learning with Technology, 37, 12-13. Retrieved February 24, 2012, from ISTE.org.