Leaves II · 11 April 2001
A librarian writes:
“...[E]lectronic materials are most suited for information that has been dissected into nicely pulverised pieces.
“Location of morass is relevant in the print world – especially primary material. I’ve found that special collections ... percolate a soul, [this] becomes entirely lost when digitized.”
The value of special collections is unquestionable, but I’d rather visit (or have loan access to) a library with fully catalogued, exceptionally complete special collections representing the expertise of its librarians (alongside access to general collections and digital resources), rather than a thousand libraries, each attempting to out-collect and out-generalize the next by having one copy of everything.
Alarmists like Nicholson Baker miss the first point, which I also agree with: different materials suit different formats, some digital, some analog. One has no more inherent value than the next. If libraries were to focus all resources on caressing the spines of first editions, commercial interests will inevitably become the portal – and filter – for the nicely pulverised pieces, no?
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