Halmos is pleased to announce the public launch of Library Stack—a new website developed to create access points between commercial databases and the open domain of public libraries.
Art’s increasing tendency to take form as digital objects has inadvertently resulted in its mediums being regulated by proprietary and closed systems. Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble collectively control 95% of all digital ebooks for which buyers are given a license in place of ownership. With the move to licensed content, public libraries must negotiate terms with each publisher for access to “content streams” with little or no say with regard to individual titles. Under such systems, libraries are unable to access the works of independent art publishers and artist-produced content made in digital formats. Furthermore, the titles cannot be cataloged by the library database network, thus fencing digital publications solely within the closed domain of commercial interests.
In an effort to expose digital art content to library databases, Halmos has initiated Library Stack—a card file of eBooks, video, audio and apps focused on art and culture. Currently in a public beta stage, Library Stack has developed a digital access port in accordance with the Open Archive standards set forth by the OCLC WorldCat database. In this way Library Stack provides data references to otherwise closed works and makes the titles indexable to the 72,000 libraries that use the Worldcat system. Additionally, Library Stack is beginning work with publishers to initiate a public lending program, providing direct media access to library patrons. Development has begun with ebook lending and will expand to other media in the future.
Independent publishers and artists who wish to donate a digital title to the lending library are invited to contact us at donations [at] halmos.us.com.
This month’s featured lending title is Paul Chan‘s Phaedrus Pron.
Library Stack is free to use.