Information Policy for the Library of Babel

James Grimmelmann, New York Law School

Abstract

The image of Borges's Library of Babel, which contains all possible books, is haunting and suggestive. This essay asks what we would do if we were advising a Federal Library Commission on how to deal with the Library's vast holdings and overwhelming disorganization. This thought exercise provides a set of sensible principles for information policy in an age of extreme informational abundance. (HTML version available at http://james.grimmelmann.net/files/Library.markdown)