Richard Littledale's
Views on the News: September 2006

The Gutenberg Googly

With the announcement by Google that they will place online (for anyone to print) a wide range of classic books comes the interpretation by some that this is the next step in the Gutenberg revolution. Certainly Google has high ambitions as it aims to place "All the world's books at your fingertips" - an ambition which Gutenberg (the western inventor of moveable type) would surely have shared. Google boldly goes on to make a comparison of its plan to place all books online with the "man on the moon" project proclaimed by J F Kennedy as America's target for the 1960s.

In his time, Gutenberg like Google had high ambitions and achievements. Having invented moveable type, he immediately went for what many must have felt was an over-ambitious target - printing the entire Bible - which he managed to achieve by 1455 producing a two volume edition in Latin. Two copies of this Bible are in the British Library. (For more information see the entry in Wikipaedia).

So now Google is trying to out-Gutenberg Gutenberg by persuading libraries and publishers to join in a new venture which, if successful, would make all published books searchable online. At the moment Google plans to limit access to copyright books so they are searchable but only limited portions of them will be readable. Meanwhile as many out-of-copyright books as possible will be placed online to be downloadable and printable at home by anyone with Internet access and a printer.

Don't miss, however, a clear difference between Gutenberg and Google. Gutenberg clearly understood which book merited the widest possible circulation - The Bible. Google seems more interested in offering access to quantity than a guide to quality - choosing to leave others to choose what to read.

Of course Views applauds these efforts to increase access to information, but the need remains to sift the wheat from the chaff. Many centuries ago the philosopher (Ecclesiastes 10:14) said, "the fool multiplies words". Our problem today remains how we can to discern real wisdom and everlasting truth in the midst of an ocean of unverified information and transient speculation. Like Gutenberg, Views would start with The Bible.

Many may be unaware that you have been able to search the Bible online for years - just go to Bible Gateway which already offers for the Bible what Google aims to do for other books. Wisdom already online and free for all to read! Gutenberg would be proud to bowl that googly!