Librarians apply scrutiny to Google Books at Berkeley con

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In libraries and information, concentration is bad on its face: Lord Acton said that power tends to corrupt. Surely, becoming the predominant (or "only", as I have also heard) aggregator and provider of access to information-as Google seems to be attempting-is a level of power that would make Acton turn over in his grave. Indeed, being "the" source of information is cultural power on a scale equal to being the only nuclear power, and we can expect the corrupting influence of that power to make itself felt across society. That it is happening can be seen everywhere, not the least the slang for searching; "I Googled it."

If, as Justice Marshall wrote in 1819, the power to tax is the power to destroy, then the power to inform exclusively is the power to control. I have nothing against Google or its leaders, but they are treading a path laden with danger to society; if not this or next year, then in a decade or two or whatever... the danger is the same.

If seems to me that the culture must insist that information not be the province of any single source, however big or, for that matter, however benevolent. As our founders understood about government, some things simply cannot be centralized without grave danger to freedom. This danger is made all the more critical if one looks at Google's attempts to store health records and other personal data.

I applaud the library community for taking issue with Google's actions. While they are late to the battle, they must continue, expanding their criticism to the phenomenon of information aggregation itself.; Posted by: schaefferb Posted on: 08/27/09 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use