Slashdot Mirror
The Distributed Library Project
An anonymous reader writes "Mike Benham of thoughtcrime.org has started a cool project for sharing information and building community in San Francisco. From the website: "Unfortunately, the traditional library system doesn't do much to foster community. Patrons come and go, but there is very little opportunity to establish relationships with people or groups of people. In fact, if you try to talk with someone holding a book you like - you'll probably get shushed. The Distributed Library Project works in exactly the opposite way, where the very function of the library depends on interaction." It looks like the software is now available for other cities."
This is actually a really cool idea.
But imagine if we could do the same thing with digital media on the
Internet. We might invent a system for sharing, for example, music
and video files and call it "file sharing" or even "peer to peer".
We might even register a domain name for the service and call it
something like "Napster". Dammit someone already registered
napster.com, I guess my dream will never become a reality.
John.
++goodthinkfull
I regularly report MSN spam to the Hotmail admins.
This seems to be a lot like meetup.com. This is an interesting concept though, and in areas where there are enough people to sign up it could even be usefull. However even with large cities like Chicago, and New York, I notice there are not many people in the different meetups. The trick is having enough people in the system to make it work well.
While this does seem like a cool project, the very premise is a bit skewed. Libraries used to be quite places, talking was always frowned upon, and the librarian was some old 90 year old hag who cared more about smacking people around than passing on knowledge.
Times, my friend, are changing.
It's often acceptible to socialize in libraries now. There are usually designated quiet portions of the library, but for the most part interaction between patrons is allowed. In fact, larger libraries set up study groups and so forth where interaction is ENCOURAGED among patrons who are interested in a similar topic.
There is no reasonable defense against an idiot with an agenda
:wq
It's a great idea for sharing books and videos with other people. But, personally, I am really picky about to whom I lend things. Regardless of whether they plan to steal them, you'd probably never get your books back in the same condition that you loaned them. Then, you'll just have to end up going out and buying new books...
Patrons come and go, but there is very little opportunity to establish relationships with people or groups of people.
Dude, have you seen some of the people that mill around libraries? Homeless kickers, pseudo-orphans, and just the garden-variety weirdos that talk to themselves? If I want community I'll go to my local arcade.
The coolest voice ever.
Indeed, you missed a lot by failing to read the site before posting.
This is not a download/file sharing service. It's a physical distributed library where the inventory is in the hands of users in a form of private property and they simply share resources upon request through one of the portals.
What's to stop a whole bunch of people giving themselves high ratings and good feedback, and then stealing other people's books?
I suggest they use something like the Advogato trust metric to maintain the integrity of their system. This allows bad "nodes" to be isolated and damage to the system avoided.
I also think that there should be penalties, like at any library, for having overdue books. Get a bad rating from one person is just a slap on the wrist.
Maybe I'm the exception to the rule, but our local library has done a lot for fostering community. My wife has participated in the annual poetry contest and readings at the library. We have gotten to know our library staff, met people and our kids have discovered new materials through the connections that they have made at the library. I won't argue that this program has value, but your average local library is community-run, a center for local civic involvement and community programs and projects. The American Library Association puts community involvement at the heart of it's mission. In fact the major advertising campaign for this is called connect@the.library. Still, the project has merit, especially because the materials that your average library offers is limited by limited finances, and this might fit niches that go unfilled right now, like making high-end geek stuff available to others.
You are never under any obligation to lend an item if you don't feel comfortable doing so.
Darn right. I wouldn't trust my porn collection to some stranger. Kerouac. I meant my Kerouac collection.
The coolest voice ever.
Ahem. This ALA-accredited librarian (I just happen to work in the software industry) is offended by the summary and linked-to site's suggestion that libraries don't encourage a sense of community.
As well as making books, videos, CDs, and other media available to patrons, physical libraries tend to offer their facilities to groups (for no or nominal fees) to get together for discussion. I have attended poetry-writing sessions, mid-80's computer clubs, environmental activism sessions, and local community groups, all hosted by local public libraries. Just check the bulletin boards (physical, or online) for notification and invitation to attend the many happenings at your local library.
Here are a few stats from a March 2002 survey commissioned by the American Library Association:
Those 14% sure have good opportunities for developing some sort of a community.
Maybe walking into a room without knowing anyone else there is daunting, so virtual communities like http://www.communitybooks.org offer a lower courage barrier for participating -- but at the same time, it's a little easier to melt into the background (or flame like mad) when you disagree with someone else's position.
And please--that stereotype of you'll probably get shushed is way wrong. If you get shushed, it's not going to be a librarian telling you to be quiet; they want you to be active and engaged. If you're approaching another patron who is trying to read, that patron might respond positively or negatively--but that's the risk you have to take if you really want to make contact with someone else who appears to share your interests.
Libraries and other non-profit organizations are generally the source of the few community gatherings in any town. From chess clubs to book clubs, summer reading programs to adult discussion groups, the libraries in my communities have always served as a strong foundation for social interaction.
While this concept sounds neat, and can probably serve a certain audience, if you wish your local library was more active, volunteer some time and get involved.
I am a huge technology advocate, but things like person to person contact off the net are just so important.
I just hope they dont store all the data on CD-r's.
adventure-today.com
If I have a CD or book to lend out, I GIVE it to the library and let them handle the distribution.
...on the parent site (first link in write-up) and was surprised to find the following: linux for anarchists.
Ha!
Slightly OT, but the same guy's site has a (slightly outdated, but still a good argument) page about why the War on Drugs is a failure. Good read, especially in light of my state's recent decision to flout the Supreme Court's ruling that "Narcotics Checkpoints" are illegal and unconstitutional invasion of people's 4th amendment rights. Even though they're patently illegal, Marion County Indiana is having them on average of once a week for the rest of the summer. The Indiana Civil Liberties Union is already suing, and you know our Drug-Warrior/Sherriff will waste millions defending his actions, (millions of tax dollars, of course) then complain when his department has to cut budget mid-year because of the money he is wasting on lawyers.
Who did what now?
What about hooking this sort of database to something similar to friendster or livejournal so that people offer their items up for loan to the people (and possible groups/communites) that they choose? Then it is up to the individual to decide how distributed their library really is.
Unless you don't just lend something out to someone, you make a temporary trade. Let's say we're both into fantasy fiction. I've got The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Simillariowhatever. I want to see what this Harry Potter fuss is about. You've got the 5 Harry Potter books, and saw The Two Towers movie, and now want to read all Tolkien's stuff. So we trade for a predetermined period, say 5 months. If you decide to be a jerk and keep my books, no big deal, I've still got yours.
One problem I can see is disputes: say you spilled orange juice on my books and aren't willing to buy new ones. Or say you just spill a little on one page and I decide to be a jerk about it and demand you buy a new one.
But with some inventiveness, it just might work out.
c-hack.com |
Since each member of this organization is like an independent lending archive, then this seems to suggest that lending copies of your materials should be fine so you can keep the originals.
If you disagree, I'd like to know which part of the copyright law supports your position. You'll find the part about fair use all nice and easy to read in HTML here at the LOC.
Since some commercial book stores already do it, how about adding a Starbucks, or something similar to your public library. In that 'zone', there would be no requirement for quietness. If you want quiet, then leave the coffee and go to the rest of the library.
;)
Also, how about 'community tables' in the coffee shop area? This is something I have already seen in some places. You can sit down at a large table and risk the chance of chatting to someone
What about damage? Well maybe you could have an 'in-library' check out. That way the books come under the same limitations as a normal checked out book.
In the long run, this should be similar to the Coffee sponsored Mozilla approach, so the library would get some return for doing this.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
Unfortunately, the traditional lavatory system doesn't do much to foster community. Patrons come and go, but there is very little opportunity to establish relationships with people or groups of people. In fact, if you try to talk with someone using the toilet you like - you'll probably get shushed. The Distributed Lavatory Project works in exactly the opposite way, where the very function of the lavatory depends on interaction.
Why the hell do we have to Rheingold everything and turn it into some 'distributed project' with 'interaction'?