Take a look at the campaign being run by Carl Malamud and John Podesta called “Yes We Scan”. It’s an effort to encourage the US government to make plans to digitize the contents of all national libraries including the Library of Congress. In a letter addressed to President Barack Obama, John Podesta and Carl Malamud point to the economic, scientific and social benefits that would arise from a large scale digitization of America’s cultural riches currently held in the vaults of various national institutions.
With reference to Thomas Jefferson’s decision to donate his library to the government of the United States, the letter calls on the present administration to use the power of the internet to realise Jefferson’s vision of government as an agency that encourages the wide diffusion of knowledge for the benefit of society:
We ask your help to achieve this 21st century dream, making the vast resources of our federal government available to all on the global Internet, making access to knowledge a right for all Americans and a defining contribution for our future.
The letter directs you to a corresponding e-petition that can be viewed and signed here.
Sam is a data trainer and wrangler at Open Knowledge. He Tweets from @Noel_Mas
