Spirit of Information Sharing
Jinfo Blog

21st December 2007

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There have been discussions about whether and how libraries would continue to develop as Google & Co. make information a click away at desktops. Indeed, not only Google and Wikipedia alike make knowledge accessible any time any where, but also libraries are extending their reach from within the library walls to virtually anywhere as feasible and appropriate as possible. While libraries are mostly not-for-profit organizations, Google has become one of the biggest companies in the world in terms of market capitalization. But one thing that's common to both is that they all bear the spirit of sharing knowledge of human kind. Libraries vary in collection size, sophistication of infrastructure, source of funding, and operating practice, etc. However libraries around the world share a common mind position among users across national borders, demographics, and historical times: Libraries are places to find information and to learn things we didn’t know before. Library as a generic “brand” is literally known to every civilized human on earth. Even for many socially and economically disadvantaged, libraries are generally accessible and ready of service. The very existence of libraries is for good, not evil, of the world. Google claims that its mission is to make information universally accessible and useful. Making information universally accessible is only achievable if access is free or nearly free, considering the fact that a large percentage of world population is still living in poverty and many struggle at hunger lines for the minimum of survival. The visionaries and engineers of Google & Co. are doing a marvelous job to make information accessible, intelligently and elegantly, resulting from not only the innovative minds and problem solving skills, but also the cumulated knowledge that once was only accessible in libraries or from those who use libraries. A symbol of one of the highest modern day achievements, Google & Co. is bringing the spirit of free knowledge sharing that is so original to libraries back to the increasingly materialized world, and yes, for good of a better world.

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