It is unimaginable that the digitalization of books initiated by the giants Google and Amazon has become a major reference in the digital arena. The digitalization of books in the form of... e-book (e-books) have, without realizing it, become a key option in the modern world. Not just for intellectual consumption, the demand for digital books, pioneered by Google and Amazon, now exists as an undeniable public reference.
However, did we know that the idea of digitizing books, pioneered by giants Google and Amazon, was inspired by the ancient Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reportedly saw this opportunity as a project. Global Libraries which will have a positive impact on the digital world.
For Bezos, this is an undeniable opportunity. Furthermore, publishers are assessing Amazon's project's rapid growth, addressing the challenges of the modern, fast-paced digital literacy era. It's unimaginable that, in the past, books were printed and distributed directly to readers by publishers; now, access to them is simply a matter of accessing the internet.
As a center of knowledge, the Alexandria Library has a lofty mission: to reach readers globally, across the globe. With 1.5 million visitors annually, Alexandria continues to improve and build literacy relationships for better human education. In this context, Alexandria serves as the center of a borderless literacy community.
With a collection of approximately 2 million copies of books, this ancient and modern library has launched a surprising program called “Reading Without Books.” This is certainly interesting, because it makes it easier for readers to access books without having to physically visit the library.
Program Reading Without a Book This means that literacy activists, bookworms, and academics don't need to bother holding physical books. They only need an internet package to access and read from them. gadget (electronic devices). This way, readers will continue to receive maximum and optimal service.
Seeing the benefits of this program, Bill Gates then made a rare breakthrough, donating billions to libraries that wanted to improve their services to readers. Gates provided free Wi-Fi in every library as a form of his support for educating readers.
Initially, the Wi-Fi program was limited to a few libraries in America. Eventually, Gates expanded the program's reach to 50 countries. The program, known as Global Libraries Foundation targeting public libraries as a form of appreciation to literacy communities and education activists to focus more on research.
Communities and education activists need "comfortable" facilities and spaces to address literacy and education issues for the advancement of human resources and book resources. Books, as a source of knowledge, should be given a special place, not neglected, abandoned, or marginalized.
It cannot be denied that programs like Global Libraries Foundation received an overwhelming response. Gates' program was seen as an extension of the Library of Alexandria's vision of reaching readers worldwide and disseminating knowledge to educate humanity.
The only way to achieve this vision, according to Google's founders, is to digitize books. The most rational thing to do is to copy the books into digital documents. While this was carefully considered, the risks were not considered.
In 2010, Google calculated that 129,864,800 books had been published since Gutenberg's time. Google intended to digitize all of these books. This news was reinforced by the presence of major library partners ready to help Google make this happen. These include the University of Michigan, Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, and the New York Public Library, as well as major libraries in Europe and America. [1]
This is certainly an extraordinary and monumental achievement. More than 20 million books, including older ones, will be easily accessible. On the one hand, this may be an achievement, but on the other, it calls for a review of the issues resulting from the digitalization program being developed.
Regardless of the pros and cons of this issue, it's worth appreciating that the pulse of knowledge emanated from the monumental library of Alexandria. Shouldn't knowledge be disseminated as widely as possible as positive nutrition for the human brain? Hayawanun Natiq (thinking animals)?
Therefore, libraries are a symbol of wisdom and foster intellectual intelligence. The wisdom of the mind is born from the contemplation of learned thinkers and communities within the labyrinth of libraries, which hold gems within the pages of books read and internalized. Then, they are contemplated with a purity of soul that is honed, nurtured, and protected by the healthy minds of their readers.
That's how libraries illuminated the world with knowledge. A truly remarkable achievement in human history. Today, readers and anyone interested in reading can access unlimited information. A previously unthinkable step. From Alexandria, a beacon of knowledge greeted the world.
[1] Read, Andrew Pettegree and Arthur Der Weduwen, The Library; A Fragile History, p. 471
