Project Gutenberg

     Hi, my name is Patty.  I am a recovering proofreader.  I am a recovering publishing company employee.  I am a recovering librarian.
     Engaging in productive pursuits after exiting the paid work-world  is vital.  Not altruistic.  Essential.
     Volunteering.  Applying my gifts to the needs of other individuals, and organizations.  Essential.
     Today, I found mention of Project Gutenberg.
     Gutenberg?  Yes.  Gutenberg--Johannes Gutenberg--the inventor of the first printing press in 1440.  Project Gutenberg?  In 1971, Michael D. Hart was inspired to found Project Gutenberg.  The intent?  Digitize the printed word--digitize books.
     Publishers, librarians, and authors have grave concerns regarding this trend.  Lack of revenue.  Loss of the experience of holding a book.  The love of  turning the pages.  Preserving  the intellectual property of authors, who create the words we read, in whatever form those words may be.  My academic background is in library and information science.  For 24 years, I worked in a publishing company.  I have worked in a variety of libraries over thirty years.  I know authors.  I have known others.  I have deep respect for the craft of writing.  I dabble in the art of writing myself.  I revel in its celebration of words.
     Yet, I would like to offer a different perspective.
     The architecture of the Internet is a tremendous gem.  The electronic structure that we call the Internet was developed in the late 1960s.  The World Wide Web, on the other hand, was developed by Tim Berners-Lee, and his colleagues, in 1989.  The World Wide Web is a life line to many individuals.
     Most people can hop in a car, or walk to the nearest bookstore or library.  Yet, other individuals, for a variety of reasons, are not so capable.  Will is not the issue.  Unchangeable, unavoidable, life realities are the issues that rob--that can hijack--an individual's capability to roam the roads, or browse the open stacks.
     The Internet.  I support the foundation of the Internet.  The World Wide Web.  I surf the Information Superhighway.  Project Gutenberg.  I will explore that endeavor.
     Authors.  Librarians.  Publishers.  Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com--I will continue to support you.  Fear not.  I will continue to support you.
    Osteoarthritis.  Cerebral palsy.  Recovering proofreader.  Recovering proofreader.  Recovering librarian.  These simple realities lead me to an opportunity--proofreading printed works that are in the public domain.  Abetting a large digitizer of free e-books.  That is the crime to which I confess.
     May the debate over e-books be broadened to include those individuals, whose horizons may be expanded by access to information that well may be beyond their reach otherwise.
     Project Gutenberg.

Compassion

     Compassion.
     Compassion gets a bad wrap.  Weak.  Idealistic.  Hopeless.  Unrealistic.
     I am not among those bad rappers.  I believe in compassion.  I believe in its ideal.  I live by its hope.
     Never before this week have a found a haven of individuals willing to admit--to affirm--their commitment to act with compassion--to live with and by compassion.
     We live in a world of instant gratification.  Impatience.  Deadlines.  As unsavory as those realities may be, these are facts of life.
     So, how do we counteract those societal pressures--those necessities of a working world--a healthy economy?  Some may say that there is no way to achieve those objectives.  We live in the world of Facebook, Twitter.  So, what hope is there to affirm--to advocate for--compassion?
     Compassion.  Achievable.  If so committed--if so wiling--you do have opportunities.  You do have options.
     PeaceNext.  Charter for Compassion.  Two opportunities.
     PeaceNext.  Social media need not be frivolous.  Peace Next.  The Facebook of Compassion.  Global.  Ecumenical.  Faith-filled.  Committed.
      I am new in my understanding of Peace Next.  Yet, I am committed to following my instincts.  As a lifelong pacifist, I am more than willing to open myself to this venue of hope.
      Interreligious dialogue.  Ecumenism.  A Parliament of World Religions its aspiration.
      In developing the World Wide Web--the human exchange of information and knowledge--within the architectural structure of the Internet, Tim Berners-Lee wrote of the opportunities for free, global communication, which are offered by such forums as PeaceNext.
      Given a forum, concrete actions are the next steps necessary to give Compassion a firm foundation.  So, what actions?  Where do I give my voice to compassion???
      The Charter for Compassion offers a wellspring of opportunity.
      The Charter is distinct from PeaceNext.  The Charter for Compassion sets forth commonsense principles to commit yourself to--to make yourself accountable to others.  The Charter for Compassion offers the space, where you may commit yourself to intentions of compassion not listed.
     In my humble opinion PeaceNext, and  The Charter for Compassion are the World Wide Web at its very best.
     Commit yourself to Compassion.
 

Facebook. Twitter. You Tube.

     Facebook.  Twitter.  YouTube.
     The three mainstream social media services elicit knee-jerk reactions:  the lowest common denominator.  Facebook is a site of value only for the purpose of maintaining social relationships.  Twitter is an outlet used by celebrities to post outrageous comments.  YouTube is the repository of videos that news outlets consult to fill air time, with very humorous, or outrageous moments.
     Such are not the only purposes for social media.  Maintaining relationships.  Expressing views that might be considered outside of what is acceptable in daily discourse.  Humorous, and outrageous moments.  These are worthy parts of our lives.
     Yet, with a little creativity, and open-mindedness, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube may be new venues that we may avail ourselves of in meeting our information needs.  Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are not so much the creations of a digital generation.  No, they are the fulfillment of the original vision of the creator of the World Wide Web--Tim Berners Lee.
     May we understand the vision of the World Wide Web--the free exchange of ideas throughout the world.  May we fulfill its promise, and not squander its treasury.  It is our choice.

The World Wide Web & the Five Laws of Library Science

1. Books are for Use
2. Every Person His or Her Book
3.  Every Book Its Reader
4. Save the Time of the Reader
5.  A Library is a Growing Organism
           S. R. Ranganathan, The Five Laws of Library Science, 1933
     The founder of library science was S.R. Ranganathan.  He set forth the foundation upon which library service--information service--is provided.   His five principles--the Five Laws of Library Science--listed above, lead me to ask about connections between library service, and the world wide web.  Tim  Berners-Lee spearheaded the development of the World Wide Web.
     Books are not expendable resources, simply by virtue of the fact that they may be converted into a digital format.  The defense of that conviction is worthy of a separate writing.
     Currently, I will look to Ranganathan to assess how we are using the information available on the World Wide Web.  If we are to use information deliberately, thoughtfully, and responsibly, then we need to understand some basic facts.  The Internet is the structure within which information may be formated and re-presented.  The World Wide Web is the content of the data--the substance of the data.  Tim Berners-Lee spearheaded an effort to develop the Web.
     Would S.R. Ranganathan and Tim Berners-Lee be at a meeting of the minds regarding information?        
      Let us take Ranganathan's laws one by one.  I will offer a parallel pondering as a way to examine the connections between Ranganathan and Berners-Lee's developments. I made Ranganathan's laws gender inclusive.
     First, books are for use.  Patty's Parallel Pondering:  The World Wide Web is designed for use.
Is the World Wide Web free of charge to users, as Berners-Lee envisioned?
     Second, every reader his/her book.  Patty's Parallel Pondering:  Every World Wide Web surfer his/her website.
     Do search engines identify clear search strategies that enable individuals to locate websites that are relevant to their wants, and needs?  Do we, as producers of websites provide effective search labels or tags to direct individuals to relevant information?
     Third, every book his/[her] reader.  Patty's Proposed Pondering:  Every website his/her user.
     Do we, as producers of online content know how to promote our information where it will be found readily?  Are we aware of resources that may help individuals in searching for our information?  Do we utilize those resources?
     Fourth, save the time of the reader.  Patty's Proposed Pondering:  Save the time of the web surfer.

     Is the overall structure of the Internet conducive to intuitive use of information?  Are specific websites designed in such a way as to direct individuals to the information they want and need?
     Fifth, a library is a growing organism.  Patty's Proposed Pondering:  The World Wide Web is a growing organism.
     With the proliferation of websites, and second generation online information--social media--it would be laughable to question the sheer growth of  the organism.  It is a quite different matter to question the quality of the growing World Wide Web.  Each of us, as individuals who use the web, are responsible participants in guiding the quality of the Web.  What consideration do we give to the veracity of the information we publish on the World Wide Web?  What deliberation do we give to postings we make to blogs, web sites, and social media, to name a few?