Searching the Internet; March 1997; Scientific American Magazine; by Lynch; 5 Page(s)

One sometimes hears the Internet characterized as the world¿s library for the digital age. This description does not stand up under even casual examination. The Internet-- and particularly its collection of multimedia resources known as the World Wide Web--was not designed to support the organized publication and retrieval of information, as libraries are. It has evolved into what might be thought of as a chaotic repository for the collective output of the world¿s digital "printing presses." This storehouse of information contains not only books and papers but raw scientific data, menus, meeting minutes, advertisements, video and audio recordings, and transcripts of interactive conversations. The ephemeral mixes everywhere with works of lasting importance.

In short, the Net is not a digital library. But if it is to continue to grow and thrive as a new means of communication, something very much like traditional library services will be needed to organize, access and preserve networked information. Even then, the Net will not resemble a traditional library, because its contents are more widely dispersed than a standard collection. Consequently, the librarian¿s classification and selection skills must be complemented by the computer scientist¿s ability to automate the task of indexing and storing information. Only a synthesis of the differing perspectives brought by both professions will allow this new medium to remain viable.