| The shape and function of the contemporary library is approaching a structural crisis, as the rate of publication continually increases and the media of publication diversifies and digitizes. In this thesis, I propose a number of alternatives to these looming problems.; The proposals result from investigations into basic structural properties of information, especially as expressed in academic research and publication, where meaning is largely the result of linking ("this idea furthers this related idea") and context (as a field of study, a body of work, and institution or research group, etc.).; The proposed library system, called a "datastructure" in a melange of cultural practice, public policy, structural system and technological infrastructure.; Additional research notes (beyond those contained in this document) are kept in a project wiki that can evolve and adapt as the work requires in the future. You can access this wiki at http://think.rice.edu. |
