Defending the future of books
Posted by Laura DeBonis, Library
Partnerships Director, Google Book Search team
On Monday, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman gave a
speech to the AAP (American Association of Publishers) about
the reasons why the university is participating in the
Project. She explained how copyright law supports fair use, and
eloquently observed that the loss of books, whether due to natural
disasters or inevitable physical decay, is a significant cultural
loss.
"Nature, politics and war have always been the mortal enemies
of written works," she said. "Most recently, Hurricane
Katrina dealt a blow to the libraries of the Gulf Coast. At Tulane
University, the main library sat in nine feet of water — water
that soaked the valuable Government Documents collection: more than
750,000 items — one of the largest collections of government
materials in Louisiana — 90 percent of it now lost."
President Coleman went on to note that together with Google
"the University of Michigan is involved in one of the most
extensive preservation projects in world history. … By digitizing
today's books, through our own efforts and in partnership with
others, we are protecting the written word for all
time."
In the recent debate over making books discoverable online, the
value of preserving our culture, knowledge and history has often
been ignored. We're honored to partner with institutions like
the University of Michigan that staunchly defend this shared
heritage.
You can watch
her speech on Google Video.
Update: Reposted with
working links and Google Video link.
Tags: , DeBonis, Director, google, Laura, Library, Partnerships, Posted