http://www.teleread.com/library/library-20-and-that-community-thing/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:30:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.teleread.com/library/library-20-and-that-community-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-45586 David Rothman Tue, 31 Jan 2006 20:55:25 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=4212#comment-45586 Hey, Rochelle, thanks for your thoughts here. I certainly agree with Alex Wright on the importance of the physical side of libraries--but hope he'll eventually come around to understanding the community potential of the virtual side as well. As for solitary text and digital libraries, that'll depend on the user and the use. But, yes, e-libraries badly need to acquire the community capaiblities of physical libraries. I'm indeed thinking of the potential ahead. Our "current vision," alas, is ahead of the much of the rest of the world's. You're absolutely right in emphasizing that distinction. Thanks. David Hey, Rochelle, thanks for your thoughts here. I certainly agree with Alex Wright on the importance of the physical side of libraries–but hope he’ll eventually come around to understanding the community potential of the virtual side as well. As for solitary text and digital libraries, that’ll depend on the user and the use. But, yes, e-libraries badly need to acquire the community capaiblities of physical libraries. I’m indeed thinking of the potential ahead. Our “current vision,” alas, is ahead of the much of the rest of the world’s. You’re absolutely right in emphasizing that distinction. Thanks. David

]]> http://www.teleread.com/library/library-20-and-that-community-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-45581 rochelle Tue, 31 Jan 2006 19:50:13 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=4212#comment-45581 I wouldn't call Alex Wright clueless. I emailed him to thank him for his piece because I still strongly believe in libraries as physical destinations--just not exclusively. I feel confident that Wright "gets" libraries as a virtual destination, but was putting aside that piece of the discussion to focus on his very important point. I think he was not too far off in his statement that "The current vision of the digital library rests on a deeply flawed assumption: that the function of libraries is to connect solitary readers with isolated texts." It just so happens that you are away ahead of that point, David. I'm excited about being able to blow this model out of the water (save for the monks among us)! I wouldn’t call Alex Wright clueless. I emailed him to thank him for his piece because I still strongly believe in libraries as physical destinations–just not exclusively. I feel confident that Wright “gets” libraries as a virtual destination, but was putting aside that piece of the discussion to focus on his very important point.
I think he was not too far off in his statement that
“The current vision of the digital library rests on a deeply flawed assumption: that the function of libraries is to connect solitary readers with isolated texts.” It just so happens that you are away ahead of that point, David. I’m excited about being able to blow this model out of the water (save for the monks among us)!

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