Books, Digital and Paper
Anthony Grafton’s November, 2007 article in The New Yorker, entitled “Future Reading,” is an excellent read for digital theologians and humanists alike. This brilliant Princeton University historian has given a commentary on books and digitization that should be read by all researchers. Weaving history and pros and cons to modern digitization projects, Grafton clarifies the new hurdle for a researcher:
“The real challenge now is how to chart the tectonic plates of information that are crashing into one another and then to learn to navigate the new landscapes they are creating.”
I have personally become a little frustrated with those that consciously choose to remain in a paper world no-matter-what. I still love books . . . the feel, the smell, the touch, the convenience of carrying a paperback to the beach or reading a hardbound in bed or under a tree. But the larger world that digitization opens to many should be embraced not as an either/or, but a both/and, a point which Grafton makes. To be blindly ignorant or obstinately dismissive of the online digital materials will only date the researcher.
You may be interested in checking out the now dated links at Hebrew Scriptures and More – General for some list of digital materials. I will be updating this material in the new future.
HT to Dan Cohen at Digital Campus podcast – Episode 15 – Exposing Yourself. The Digital Campus podcast are a must listen for digital researchers.
