Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
cited without reading them from cover to cover - but it does clarify a
long-standing dispute over the relative merits of print books and
electronic books. The single most compelling argument against e-books
has always been that they are not fit for extended reading. While few
would dispute that point, it is also true that relatively few books in
research libraries' print collections are ever subjected to linear, cover-to-
cover reading, in any case. To the degree that they are, rather, searched
for relevant chapters, pages or passages, books are being used as
databases - regardless of their physical format. And to the degree that
they are being used as databases they will be much more helpful to
patrons in online formats than in print.
Libraries in the digital revolution
When information was primarily distributed in print formats, it was
very important for libraries to create collections that were both as large
and as carefully selected as possible. Since printed paper was expensive
to produce and difficult to distribute, and since determining the very
existence of books on particular topics could be an incredibly time-
consuming chore, it was important that library patrons in search of
documents should find these documents waiting for them when they
arrived; procuring them after users' interest was known was a slow and
inefficient process.
The digital revolution has completely changed this reality.
Information still requires significant effort to be created in the first
place, but once created it can be distributed easily, cheaply and in many
cases instantaneously. Perhaps even more importantly, relevant
documents are now much easier to locate and examine than they were
when the only searching tools available were printed indexes that were
always incomplete and out of date. Large-scale full-text searching now
makes it possible for even inexpert searchers to zero in very quickly on
documents that are relevant to their research needs. It is also worth
noting that it is now very much easier to locate and purchase out-of-
print books than it once was; no longer does the library have to jump
on the university press monograph immediately upon publication in
order to ensure that a copy will make it into the collection. Thanks to
online aggregators like Bookfinder.com, ABE Books and Alibris,
federated searching of many used-book dealers' holdings is now
