[WEB4LIB] Re: Still More Copyright

[Brian Cockburn]

Ebooks will not, for the most part, replace linearly read volumes.  However,
in most academic libraries, scholars and students pursue research by using
"parts" of books.  By scanning table of contents and indexes, you look for
your "topic" and related topics.  The ebook will make its first significant
mark in libraries when it makes possible the searching of libraries of books
by topic and word.  That would be extremely valuable and would fit with
scholarly use.

BAC

Brian Cockburn
Digital Services Librarian
James Madison University
VMail:  540.568.6978  EMail:  cockbuba at jmu.edu
Public Calendar:  http://calendar.yahoo.com/cockbuba

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org [mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]On
Behalf Of Lloyd Davidson
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2001 9:50 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Re: Still More Copyright

At 14:38 03/21/2001 -0800, Dennis Moser wrote:


>NTK noticed this last December. "'Cannot be read aloud'? Look, it's not THE
>NECRONOMICON..."
>
>If I thought e-books were going to become wildly popular in the short term,
>I would worry about lots of beloved works disappearing from the public
>domain and being locked into private ownership like this.
>
>Since I don't feel that e-books like this are going to go anywhere, I'm not
>losing too much sleep over it.
> >

That is certainly true in the short run, but ebooks evince a creeping
inevitability about them that will likely lead to their becoming
ubiquitously owned devices within the next ten or so years.  What is
holding them back at the moment is the lack of standards and a secure, high
resolution, inexpensive reader.  While these are major obstacles, they are
only technological in nature and will ultimately be overcome; probably
sooner rather than later. When that happens, such units (probably as part
of a general purpose device that includes a reader, phone, TV, and
computer) will spread globally, in conjunction with the spread of wireless
communication systems.  The attraction of being able to grab any reading
material, from books to newspapers and magazines, at any time and from
anywhere, will be a powerful incentive for their wide adoption, at least by
those who can afford such connectivity.

Cheers,

Lloyd

(Your friendly prognosticator)