Digitally savvy academics are reportedly excited as well as anxious about Google's plan to digitise tens of millions of books and create an online library and bookstore, according to the New York Times series Humanities 2.0. While the proposal remains in legal limbo as the result of a class action lawsuit, the debate continues.
In 2009, New York Law School organised a conference on the Google settlement. The school's law journal has now dedicated its latest issue to the discussions about access, competition and copyright that followed. The issue contains articles that celebrate or criticise Google and its objectives.
One of the more provocative articles in the collection is by Daniel Reetz, who founded a network of volunteers who create devices that allow them to scan in books themselves. In his essay, Reetz expresses concern about the political implications of a settlement that imposes restrictions on content. According to him, leaving the future of books in the hands of a few corporate interests is irresponsible.
According to media reports, Reetz built his own book scanner from cheap consumer cameras and some basic parts. He is a strong defender of book digitisation, arguing that scanning should be a personal technology.
Search for more Google Books related information
To access our daily STM news feed through your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphones, please visit www.myscoope.com for a mobile friendly reading experience.
