When Google challenged Europe--In Defense of the Uprising

Author: [French] Jean-No?l Jeanneney
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Following Google's launch of the GooglePrintPublishers program in October 2004, Jean-No?l Jeanneney, the Director of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, pointed out the dangers and challenges this program posed to different cultures and called for initiatives to preserve the diversity of world cultures and defend the cultures of nations and regions. In the context of digitalization in various countries, he offered his own opinions and suggestions on issues such as free collaboration, national funding support, the selection of specific digitalization technologies and standards, the long-term preservation of digital resources, and the management of digitalization projects. This book, published after Google announced its plan to digitize printed books, proposes initiatives on how to defend local cultures and maintain the diversity of world cultures. Google, the world's largest search engine, plans to build the world's largest online library by 2015, and the European Union views this plan as a cultural invasion of Europe by the United States. In this polemical booklet, Jean-No?l Jeanneney, the Director of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, strongly responds to Google's plan and calls for initiatives to preserve the diversity of world cultures and defend the cultures of nations and regions. Although this booklet was initially aimed at French readers, its topic is relevant worldwide. As Jeanneney stated in the preface to the Chinese edition: "Here, I want to reiterate to my Chinese readers that our efforts are not just for the benefit of Europe. In this new venture of digital libraries, Europe can learn from and complement China, India, the Arab world, Latin America, and other regions of the world. Such exchanges benefit all of humanity."