Conceptualizing large-scale information access efforts: The case for historical context

Abstract

Large-scale digitization initiatives (LSDIs) like Google Book Search and the Open Content Alliance have extraordinary potential to reshape the social world. However, the scholarly community currently lacks adequate conceptualizations to describe these phenomena and assess what they might portend. This paper examines the current state of the literature on LSDIs, finding hundreds of related articles and documents -only a fraction of which add to the conceptualization process. It then describes one way forward in developing a holistic concept of LSDIs upon which to ground further study: by placing them in historical context, as efforts to democratize access to information.

Large-scale book digitization in historical context

“…This radical expansion in public access to books has the potential to reshape myriad social structures, from scholarship to citizenship to creativity -not to mention publishing, authorship, and librarianship [e.g., 2,11,12]. Yet, despite this potential, a recent review of the literature shows that the social science community has scarcely begun to understand what these projects even are, despite the fact that such an understanding is fundamental to both comprehending their implications and making recommendations regarding their structures [6].…”