Independent, De-centralised Digital Libraries
Physical libraries are no longer the only place to reliably and quickly get an audiobook, E-book, or information in general. Now with online, digital marketplaces we can discretely download anything we want, usually starting with the many free classics.
People would have relied upon visiting libraries in the last decade ago because of limited download speeds at home. Today we can download more than we can ever read using a public network (like a café); utilising a myriad of services to explore a chasm of content.
In western countries our digital media libraries are now as familiar as a telephone or electricity pole, but elsewhere there are far fewer ways to access and distribute digital or physical literature in a legitimate way (e.g., benefitting the authors), thus people are compelled to distribute copyrighted material (illegally). Additionally, there is a plethora of public domain and freely shared content online that probably makes up the majority of the internet, but getting access to this relies upon knowing good enough English and avoiding malicious websites who target another definition of “free”.
Alternative Networks
Like bringing a credit card to a bank to carry out a transaction, imagine bringing your phone, laptop, or e-reader to an independent Wi-Fi hotspot to download books and other similarly useful resources. The Librarybox project made this a reality over a decade ago, using accessible hardware with Librarybox’s own software, although the project ceased development in 2013 when the necessary hardware became too locked down to be worth continuing. Despite these problems at the time, it was everything I imagined libraries would be today — an alternative library with minimal maintenance for a small and local community.
Information access has been facilitated in various ways but there is no current and unequivocal right to access free internet other than visiting a (usually daytime-run) library. This can be problematic in the UK since:
- These libraries aren’t accommodating physical reading space because they are being retrofitted for public services and computer access
- Existing coffee shops are often a more convenient solution for internet access because of location, atmosphere, and seating space
- Libraries have less of a requirement (or maybe demand) to be built in new town locations
I think the decline in cornerstone libraries will impact all generations to come, and the lack of dedicated space and variety of books in libraries is worrying. Similarly, banking has fallen out of fashion the same way as people have naturally decided to stop using cash — now these old bank buildings are more likely to be rented as luxury coffee shops.
A First-World Solution
So I’ve spotted the problem around gradually stagnating library usefulness and found one (albeit failed) existing and cheap solution, but how else can information access be facilitated on a national level? Using a large network of routers could be the most convenient solution, this way they are managed, ubiquitous and already able to handle private and public access in parallel.
How? The biggest internet service providers in the UK used to enable this for subscribed customers. Similarly, other wireless networks (4G and 5G primarily) could offer free access to online libraries like they have for social media.
Kiwix, the Alternative and Independent Library
Conveniently, the existence of Raspberry Pi has re-invigorated the Librarybox concept by making affordable hardware and keeping its firmware as open as possible. It has been deployed successfully in third-world countries due to their lack of convenient and ubiquitous internet access.
Kiwix is a much needed library solution that is fortunate to have a copyleft type of license, so anybody could install it to a Raspberry Pi and modify the source code at their own discretion.
Projects such as these provide are delivering the necessary modern solutions to support 21st century information access where expensive infrastructure does not yet exist. It is also popular with “preppers” — presumably because bunkers are small, and basic survival information could be life or death.
Countries with too few libraries
Many countries in Africa, Middle East, and South America have few libraries relative to their population and would otherwise be deprived of a standard education if it wasn’t for the internet. The problem is that these countries have internet connections less than 1Mbps so browsing is relatively slow and limited to static content; reminiscent of 2004 when 30 minutes to share a song via Bluetooth was a common activity to Nokia users.
‘Sneakernet’ is a term for sharing digital content (books, etc.) using a physical medium like a USB drive, although phones are now utilised for that too:
“Phone handsets can act as ‘mobile electronic libraries’, for sharing copies of free eBooks, training material, etc.” Quote source
The advantage of sharing content through physical storage (like a sneakernet) can give students access to common and everyday type of data without slowing down vital internet access and communication for others. It’s still so relatively fast and reliable compared to the internet that, in Afghanistan, some people might pay for quick access to content that is otherwise freely available online (like an iOS update).
Summary
Libraries are still vital locations for accessing information but are neglected and forgotten because of evolving needs. Introducing digital library hubs could be beneficial in areas without fast internet or the underlying infrastructure (like 3rd world countries). Wireless digital library hubs can be a more convenient form of access to digital information where communities are usually deprived of a variety of books or fundamental education, but may have phones capable of offline media viewing and sharing.