“A Mere Labyrinth of Letters”: Preoccupations of Librarianship and Epistemological Conjecturing in Borges’ “The Library of Babel”

An illustration of the Library of Babel by Erik Desmazieres

Librarians Share Two Major Philosophical Preoccupations:

1. The idea of a total library
2. The futility of such a library

Librarians are “total” in their desire for a perfect, complete library. Unfortunately, this totalizing mindset can fossilize into the belief that if something isn’t in the library, it doesn’t exist. The promise of total, accessible knowledge (the first preoccupation) is shadowed by the futility of searching through miles of records for that one essential piece (the second preoccupation). Catalogers perpetually compare the catalog to the shelf, hoping for a perfect match—a Sisyphean task that is never truly finished. This struggle isn’t unique to librarianship but echoes throughout Western philosophy. Ever since Thales posited that all existence rests on a single principle, thinkers have sought an absolute—a “univocity”—that undergirds reality. The search remains forever unfinished, yet it continues.

Software Review: Access My Library for the iPhone

Have you ever wanted to use your iPhone to access your library's electronic resources? Well, you can with Access My Library.

I love access to my public library's online resources, like EBSCOhost and Galegroup resources.

I'm pleased to know I can access some of the resources I pay taxes for, not only on my computer but on my iPhone.

Gale Group, a leading reference resource has developed a nifty iPhone app that uses geotracking to locate the nearest public libraries in your area and allows you to access electronically through an app.

What this means is I can access Scribner's Writer's Series on my phone.

If I lived in San Francisco, then I could access the public library there as well.

Gale allows this access for free because it knows it helps libraries reach out to more of its patrons who may not have access to the stacks because of work or other commitments. This ensures libraries will continue to use Gale as an online database service.

The app enhances iPhone's ability to search out reputable resources. The worldwide web does not always contain the most desirable sources, and sometimes I need access to a subscription database to locate trustworthy information.

Now, only if the legal battle can cease, then Google can offer a similar service through its Books feature.

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