Comments on Andy Oram's recent weblog entry on "wireless libraries" (Wi-Li).
Libraries, as we have grown to known them over the last centuries, are a place. They are a primary a place browse books and bookshelves, but they are also a place to meet with classmates and find librarians. Replacing all that with an 802.11b connected terabyte server is simply a case of premature optimization -- access to digitized works will be easier, but a great deal will be lost in the process.Surely, there is much to be gained by improving the computing facilities around libraries. For example, adding 802.11 networks for browsing a truly well-designed card catalog web app from any seat in or out of the library, not just the uncomfortable desks and tables designated for their use.
Any bibliophile knows intuitively that there is something marvelous and tactile about books. They can be taken outside and read under the shade of a tall tree, read late at night in bed, or in your favorite comfy chair. Ebook readers have all of the promise of the paperless office, with the same potential for delivering the dream to match. So while there may be a benefit to digitizing a few titles that are in both short supply and high demand, switching an entire library over to digital media is like building a 12-lane highway because an existing but disused sidewalk isn't wide enough for four to walk abreast.
Finally, I don't see how bringing a library to a workspace (either a lab or a garden) will be an improvement. What's good about students who won't need to trudge back to the library for reference material? The long walk back to the library teaches students that everything has a cost -- if you didn't do sufficient research the last time, then you'll need to stop whatever activity you've started and return to the library to resume your research. Putting a well-stocked library within reach of every student at all times will be about as productive as putting a web browser on every computer; it may be a good research tool on occasion, but it will be a distraction more often than not.
