Some time ago there was some discussion on this list about Negroponte's
*Being Digital* and about how useful/enlightening/good it was. I find his
distinction between 'atoms' and 'bits' a useful way of talking about some
things. For eg, libraries currently handle atoms, physical items with mass
which have to be packaged, transported, etc. They are increasingly
managing flows of 'bits'. The hybrid library must manage bits and atoms.
I have recently read Manuel Castells *The rise of the network society*
(Blackwells, 1996). This is very dense, but, I think, enormously
suggestive across a whole range of issues. Castells is a theorist of urban
development and a sociologist, so his focus is not particularly technical.
This is the first volume in a trilogy under the general title *The
Information Age*.
I am prompted to send the message by the following by Frank Webster which
I exerpt from a long review of the The network society in *City*, 7,
105-121. The issue as a whole focuses on Castells.
"Volume One of the Information Age leaves behind a welter of diverse
literature on technology effects, the future to which we are heading and
the character of the 'information society', something which at the least
will be a saving of the reader's time and effort. One may confidently
refer to Castells instead of to the likes of Negroponte and Toffler (who
appear lazy and intellectual (sic) shoddy when set against Castells), or
even to much more weighty contributors from the research community."
Lorcan
Lorcan Dempsey <URL:http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/~lisld/>
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ph: +44 (0)1225 826254 UKOLN (UK Office for Library & Info Networking)
fx: +44 (0)1225 826838 University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
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