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A comment on Twilight of the Libraries: What Gets Lost When Books Go Off-Site and Online. Parent comment

Re:Twilight of the Libraries: What Gets Lost When Books Go O... by mdp2021 on Wednesday March 01, 2023 @04:44PM (#34988769)
The public libraries I know request a form of subscription to access digitized material, involving the use of public identity - linked to the accessed books. As opposed to "access the shelves, pick the item, read it in place".

But some will deny personal data treatment, particularly in terms of matching accessed material and identity. So, general use of electronic documents through libraries will be off-limit to an important class of people. (Those who regard private intellectual activity as near top in the list of rightfully strictly private matters by principle.)

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Twilight of the Libraries: What Gets Lost When Books Go O... by crazygringo on Wednesday March 01, 2023 @04:55PM (#34988899)
The public library I go to (NYPL) requires a proof of identity (driver's license, etc.) to get a library card which is required to check out material for use on-premises in a reading room.

There is only a tiny fraction (< 1%) of material that any random person can just walk in and browse.

And this is the case with all reference libraries that I'm aware of. (Edit: meant "research" library, mistyped "reference".)

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Twilight of the Libraries: What Gets Lost When Books Go O... by mdp2021 on Wednesday March 01, 2023 @04:59PM (#34988940)
> that I'm aware of

I want to reach your area to finally one day visit Bass' Strand;

you should come to Europe one day and have the experience of free access to the shelves :)

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Twilight of the Libraries: What Gets Lost When Books Go O... by crazygringo on Wednesday March 01, 2023 @05:02PM (#34988974)
Is there a research library (e.g. more than a million volumes) in Europe that you can browse most/all the collection of without even having to provide an ID card?

In my experience, Europe tends to require mandatory ID for things in general much more often than the US does.

[ Parent | on HN ]