How should people explore your books in the way way way future?
That question will be answered in the next few years as Google and librarians at Open Content Alliance debate ways to provide universal access to content without breeching the traditional separation between corporations and the academy.
I reported on this almost two years ago and I've been fascinated by the digital library wars ever since. Today, The New York Times outlines the current debate.
In the end, it is our generation of writers that will be most affected by these momentous decisions. I would much rather have future scholars reading our books, letters, and essays in an open digital research library, rather than struggling through some locked-down, expensive, or advertising-riddled archive.
Check it out, and decide what you think...
"But the resistance from some libraries, like the Boston Public Library and the Smithsonian Institution, suggests that many in the academic and nonprofit world are intent on pursuing a vision of the Web as a global repository of knowledge that is free of business interests or restrictions."