“Libraries are inherently islands of freedom and antidotes to fanaticism. They are temples of pluralism where books that contradict one another stand peacefully side by side just as intellectual antagonists work peacefully next to each other in reading rooms. It is legitimate and in our nation’s interest that the new technology be used internationally, both by the private sector to promote economic enterprise and by the public sector to promote democratic institutions. But it is also necessary that America have a more inclusive foreign cultural policy — and not just to blunt charges that we are insensitive cultural imperialists.”
Tag: 11.22.05
World Libraries To Contribute To International Digital Library
The Library of Congress is leading a project to build a world digital libraray. “Librarian of Congress James Billington said he is looking to attract further private funding to develop bilingual projects, featuring millions of unique objects, with libraries in China, India, the Muslim world and other nations. This builds on major existing digital documentary projects by the Library of Congress — one preserving an online record of Americana and another documenting ties between the United States and Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Russia and Spain.”
A Plan For A Cole Porter Museum
Citizens in Peru, Ind., have bought Cole Porter’s boyhood home and are planning to open a museum dedicated to the songwriter. “Led by town mayor Jim Walker and working largely from donations, the group raised the cash to buy the house last year. They plan to refurbish it and open it to the public next summer.”
BitTorrent Caves To Movie Studios
Owners of the popular downloading software BitTorrent have settled with major movie studios over downloading policies. “The agreement requires 30-year-old software designer Bram Cohen to prevent his Web site, bittorrent.com, from locating pirated versions of popular movies, effectively frustrating people who search for illegal copies of films. BitTorrent must remove Web links leading to illegal content owned by the seven studios that are members of the Motion Picture Association of America.”
Hollywood Counts On Religion Strategy
“A raft of companies offering specialised media services has sprung up, eager to lend Hollywood a helping hand in producing and marketing films with a Christian-friendly message.”
Movie Tentpoles…. Maybe Not Such A Good Idea?
“Because the studios are trying to respond to a clear audience demand for more material that’s fresh and unpredictable, they are greenlighting riskier fare. The results this fall were disastrous. A spate of fall movies crashed and burned, movies that if they had been produced and marketed at the independent level might have worked.”
Auditor General: Canadian Content Rules Need More Attention
“Ottawa spent $2.2 billion on culture in 2002-3, including $1 billion for the CBC, Fraser said in her report. But Canada’s Heritage Department does not have a clear strategic plan for Canadian culture and the many agencies involved in cultural funding all seem to go their own way, Auditor General Sheila Fraser said.”
When Jazz And Hiphop Got Together
“The jazz/hip-hop nexus is simply a cultural and genealogical fact. Turntablists, MCs, and jazz musicians are collaborating every day. And yet the impact of hip-hop on some of the best new acoustic jazz still isn’t widely understood.”
CBC Prez Under Attack
CBC broadcast chief Robert Rabinovich is expected to come under fierce rebuke by a Canadian parliamentary committee today over his running of the public broadcaster.
Baltimore’s Walters Museum To Expand Again
The museum is buying a nearby building. “The Walters, which opened in 1934, now fills three buildings and in recent years has been active on the renovation and refurbishing front. In 2001 it completed a $24 million renovation of its main building; last fall it finished remodeling its smaller signature palazzo -like building. “We had just reopened the original Walters building and in the last four years had installed 4,000 works. And then before we had a chance to put our feet up, this opportunity happened.”