As it works with Google to scan nearly all the books on its shelves, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor has decided not to make full-text versions of copyrighted books available online, even to on-campus users. The university has upgraded its online card catalog to include full-text electronic copies of books that have been scanned as part of its controversial partnership with Google. Users will be able to read the complete text of out-of-copyright works online.
Some observers had wondered whether the university might make full-text versions of copyrighted books available at on-campus computers, but Michigan officials ruled out that option early on. “We don’t believe that fair use allows us to make that kind of access available to our user community,” said John P. Wilkin, an associate university librarian.
4 Responses to U. Michigan Library Adds Books Scanned by Google to Online Catalog
historiann - May 10, 2012 at 1:27 pm
Fascinating talk. I like your ideas, but I’m left wondering what’s in it for the more prestigious colleges and unis in your dream consortiums? After all, as you point out, they compete very well for the “diverse” bodies in their faculty and student collections. Would they really be excited to offer courses that were being narrowcast to 500, 1,000, or 2,000+ students around the world?
northernbarbarian - May 15, 2012 at 9:41 am
Just caught up with this post-grading. Some interesting ideas to chew over. One issue I wonder about is whether the technology is yet able to enable a good-quality classroom exchange via this “narrowcast” (much less to 500+ people)! At my SLAC I do a good deal of lecturing, but since classes are small I regularly ask the students questions and invite questions, can respond when I see that they are confused, or can tell a joke to wake them up when they are drifting. I could still do all this while students at other institutions are watching, but I think that would create yet another track of those in the room with me and those outside. The idea of broader consortia is well worth pondering, however.
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anharrington - May 16, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Using technology to mix people from different cultural backgrounds is great. You analysis about the current model emphasizing class distinctions is right on. However, your solution of mixing the inexpensive and expensive universities does not make economic sense. The expensive universities pay for faculty that can either wow a big class or strongly and individually engage a small class. How do they finance their high salaries or spread their time with this model? If the US government decided that this was worthwhile, and wanted to make Pell grants much bigger and available to a much wider group, you would have financing, but I certainly do not see that coming any time soon.
Maybe you could talk this up enough that some courses at elite universities were available for some “experience of diversity”, but I do not see it happening generally.
In the end you give one more highlight of the power of money in our social, business, and political culture. And the importance does not go away with your talk.