Project Gutenberg: the Oldest Digital Library of the USA
https://doi.org/10.25281/0869-608X-2017-66-5-560-566
Abstract
The article is devoted to the Project Gutenberg (PG), the world’s oldest full-text digital library containing literature from the public domain. There are presented the main development stages, as well as ideological and organizational principles of the project, created by M. Hart in 1971. Special attention is paid to the specific features of this e-library, which is the oldest crowdfunding project based on cooperation with the international network of the “Distributed Proofreaders” and the creative potential of the Web 2.0 society. There is examined the cluster of PG affiliated projects in individual countries, developed with the participation of the volunteer community: PG Australia, PG Canada, PG Europa, PG Luxemburg, PG Russia (Rutenberg), etc. There are analysed the new models of social communication, on which is based the volunteer project for dissemination of free electronic copies of publicly available literature, and its place in the formation of the institutional infrastructure of the information society.
About the Author
Tatiana E. Savitskaya
Russian State Library
Russian Federation
3/5 Vozdvizhenka Str., Moscow, 119019
Russian Federation
3/5 Vozdvizhenka Str., Moscow, 119019
References
1. Hart M. The History and Philosophy of Project Gutenberg by Michael Hart, Project Gutenberg. Available at: https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/ Gutenberg:The_History_and_Philosophy_of_ Project_Gutenberg_by_Michael_Hart (accessed 21.08.2017).
2. Hancock T. Impossible Thing #2: Comprehensive Free Knowledge Repositories like Wikipedia and Project Gutenberg, Free Software Magazine, 2008, February. 19. Available at: http://freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/impossible_thing_2_comprehensive_free_knowledge_repositories_wikipedia_and_ project_gutenberg/ (accessed 21.08.2017).
3. Poynder R. Interview with Michael Hart, The Occasional Pamphlet — Peter Murrey-Rust’s Blog, 2006, March 9. Available at: http://poynder.blogspot. ru/2006/03/interview-with-michael-hart.html (accessed 21.08.2017).
4. Lebert M. A History of Project Gutenberg from 1971—2005, Project Gutenberg News, 2008, February 2. Available at: http://www.gutenbergnews. org/20080202/nef-pg-1971-2005-lebert-en/ (accessed 21.08.2017).
5. Cook M. Project Gutenberg Releases eBook #50,000, Project Gutenberg News, 2015, October 3. Available at: http://www.gutenbergnews.org/20151003/ project-gutenberg-releases-ebook-50000/ (accessed 21.08.2017).
6. Savitskaya T.E. Google Book Search Project: the Pros and Cons, Observatory of Culture, 2016, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 420—428.
7. Vara V. Project Gutenberg Fears No Google, Wall Street Journal, 2005, December 5. Available at: http://www.wsj.com/public/article/ SB113415403113218620 (accessed 21.08.2017).
8. Bustillos M. Seriously Kindle Unlimited, The Awl, 2014, July 21. Available at: https://www.theawl. com/2014/07/seriously-fuck-you-kindle-unlimited/ (accessed 21.08.2017).
9. Bergmayer J. The Importance of Project Gutenberg, Public Domain, Google Book Search, 2011, September 8. Available at: https://www.publicknowledge. org/news-blog/blogs/importance-project-gutenberg (accessed 21.08.2017).
10. Hancock T. Nevozmozhnoe #2: Polnotsennye khranilishcha svobodnykh znanii — Vikipediya i Proekt “Gutenberg” [Impossible Thing #2: Comprehensive Free Knowledge Repositories like Wikipedia and Project Gutenberg], Linux po-russki: Virtual’naya entsiklopediya [Linux in Russian: The Virtual Encyclopedia], 2008, February 19. Available at: http:// rus-linux.net/lib.php?name=/MyLDP/freesoft/ impossible-2.html (accessed 21.08.2017).
11. Hane P. Gutenberg Progresses, Information Today, 2004, May. Available at: http://www.infotoday.com/ it/may04/hane1.shtml (accessed 21.08.2017).
12. Oudenaren J. van. The World Digital Library and the Social Sciences, World Library and Information Congress: 75th IFLA General Conference and Council (23—27 August 2009, Milan, Italy). Available at: https://www.ifla.org/past-wlic/2009/217- oudenaren-en.pdf (accessed 21.08.2017).
13. Thomas J. Project Gutenberg Digital Library Seeks to Spur Literacy, U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan. Available at: https://japan2.usembassy. gov/e/p/2007/tp-20070723-89.html (accessed 21.08.2017).
14. Kowalczyk P. 8 Tips and Tricks to Get the Most of Project Gutenberg, Ebook Friendly, 2016, December 9. Available at: http://www.ebookfriendly.com/ project-gutenberg (accessed 21.08.2017).
15. Kozlowski M. Project Gutenberg Releases New Android App, Good e-Reader, 2016, August 15. Available at: https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/ project-gutenberg-releases-new-android-app (accessed 21.08.2017).
16. Sockel A. Project Gutenberg eBooks Available on “Virtual Branch” Websites, OverDrive Blogs, 2010, August 10. Available at: http://www.blogs. overdrive.com/service-news/2010/08/10 (accessed 21.08.2017).
17. Rapp D. Project Gutenberg Meets WorldCat, Library Journal, 2011, May 17. Available at: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2011/05/opinion/ljinsider/project-gutenberg-meets-worldcat/ (accessed 21.08.2017).
Review
For citations:
Savitskaya T.E. Project Gutenberg: the Oldest Digital Library of the USA. Bibliotekovedenie [Russian Journal of Library Science]. 2017;66(5):560-566. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25281/0869-608X-2017-66-5-560-566
Views:
2795
Email this article 