Does "Earth's Largest Library" Point the Way to the Future?

Concept's creator claims it will serve everyone, including K-12 students, better

Staff -- School Library Journal, 1/1/2000

When Steve Coffman proposed an idea he called the "Earth's Largest Library" (ELL) in an article in the March 1999 Searcher magazine (www.infotoday.com/searcher/mar99/coffman.htm), he ignited a hot debate among public and academic librarians.

Coffman, director of Los Angeles County Library's fee-based reference service, suggested it might be time for libraries to rethink the way they offer services. Amazon.com offers a model for what could be a new national network of libraries with a single catalog, says Coffman. He proposed that libraries boost interlibrary loan services and combine library catalogs across the country into one that could display not only locally available books, but those available everywhere.

Does the idea have anything to offer young people? Coffman says yes; with Earth's Largest Library young people "would find a catalog with enhanced bibliographic records, including cover art, table of contents, reviews by other kids, and other features pioneered by Amazon [that are] a whole lot easier and more enjoyable to use than the fare we currently dish out to them in our OPACs."