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By David Rothman

image image France will be the last holdout against Google’s library digitization initiative, right? American cultural imperialism and all that, no?

The French and other Europeans often harbor a healthy skepticism toward American corporations, just as they should toward their own. And although I own a tiny speck of Google stock, I would agree in this case. So would many an American academic and librarian. Google is a profit-driven company, not a philanthropy, the “Do no evil” motto notwithstanding.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I read in Actua Litte that the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), the French national library, might use Google’s digitization services. In fact, if the latest info from La Tribune and a TimesOnline blog is correct, this is more or less a done deal. The headline in the former was, “Google has won,” according to the blog.

With the irony meter going off the scale, here’s a snippet from a Google translation:

"Our negotiations with Google could result in the next few months," explains Denis Bruckmann, Director General and Director of collections of the BnF. Earnings and savings would be considerable for the institution. The advantage is that the Google service is free, in return, the engine gets a copy of the scanned work, something that would fix of the affairs of the BnF.

OK, I can see both sides here, but if the deal isn’t absolutely locked up in all respects, I would warn the BnF to be wary and try to to avoid giving Google any exclusives or other favoritism that would chip away at the public domain and fair use.

Related: U.C. Professors seek changes to Google Books deal, in the New York Times. Also see Wall Street Journal on Google Books, orphaned works, a TeleRead post by Chris Meadows.

And speaking of France: What would an optimal apartment for a writer be like? Actua Litte reports on some French architectural students’ efforts to design one. English translation here.

(BnF story updated at 1 p.m. Washington time.)

 
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