http://chronicle.com/free/v51/i39/39a02501.htm
Two librarians present opposing views: Michael Gorman and John P. Wilkin
Michael Gorman, president-elect of the American Library Association, has
become a vocal critic of Google’s library project. Mr. Gorman, who is dean
of library services at California State University at Fresno, argues that
the growing popularity of Google’s search engine among scholars could harm
research because even after Google expands its collection with book
content, the search engine will have far less to offer than many
traditional libraries. And because Google will make available only short
excerpts of copyrighted works, he says the tool will be of limited value.
One reply on “Gorman – Luddite or Protector of the Faithful?”
Are Gorman’s comments intended to stir debate between the anti-digitalists and the new generation of librarians using the Web? Why would an ALA president appear to be so irrationally anti-Google, and anti-progress? In another sense, he is right to question the head-long rush into digitizing the Web, and also Google’s motives.
My own verdict: Google and Google Scholar are here to stay. Our users are forcing this change. Structured research using a variety of tools and methods (at least in the fields of medicine & health) is here to stay too. Gorman’s comments on “atomizing” library books & collections and his anti-“hip hop” rant are both irrational. By all means, take on supergiants like Google but leave your anti-popular cultural references out of the rhetoric.