POST: Never Trust a Corporation to do a Library’s Job 11

29 Jan 2015  | dh+lib review · Post

Andy Baio examines the consequences of Google’s stated mission “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Biao describes how in recent years Google has moved away from this mission by leaving these archival project in limbo (Google Books) or abandoning them entirely (Google News Archive). In contrast, Biao profiles the Internet Archive and argues that such an organization is better suited to act as a steward of digital cultural heritage because it’s not concerned with generating profits.

The post stems from a recent piece in The New Yorker about the Internet Archive by Jill Lepore. Responding to Lepore’s piece (and indirectly to Biao), Ed Summers argues that we need more Internet Archives; more organizations should be creating and providing access to web archives to build on the work of the Internet Archive to preserve our cultural heritage.

dh+lib Review

This post was produced through a cooperation between Caitlin Christian-Lamb, Tara Das, Katrien Deroo, Paula Kiser, and Jaqueline Woolcott (Editors-at-large for the week), Zach Coble (Editor for the week), Sarah Potvin (Site Editor), and Caro Pinto and Roxanne Shirazi (dh+lib Review Editors).

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