If Libraries Were Invented Today..

This thoughtful post by Stephen J. Dubner at New York Times ponders the interesting idea of what would happen if libraries didn't already exist but were suddenly invented now.

The conclusion is basically this: Publishers and other groups would probably fight against this new invention, because economically it defintely "hurts" them. Think about it: 50 people can read a book with one purchase, instead of 50 reads with potentially up to 50 purchases. The concept of the library is the ultimate "try before you buy" sort of setup, and thankfully it became ingrained into our culture long before the current copyright/publisher-rights/licensing/etc. mania has reached its zenith.