April 2001

Information Cosmos

Seeking order amid informational chaos? Learn some lessons from the ancient Library of Alexandria.

By Henry Jenkins

The classical world offers a legendary story about enlightenment through assembled knowledge-the great Library at Alexandria-that embodies both our hopes and our anxieties for the digital age. Will innovation and free inquiry thrive amid the Web's great storehouses of knowledge? Or will an information elite monopolize access to knowledge and grow increasingly isolated from the public?

Later this year, a state-of-the-art research facility opens in Alexandria, transforming legend back into reality. Announcing the project, Egyptian first lady Suzanne Mubarak vowed the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina would be "a digital lighthouse for the world." Many countries are contributing precious archival holdings on microfilm or CD-ROM and returning documents confiscated during wars and occupations.

Alexander the Great conceived the original library as a tribute to his teacher, Aristotle. For over 600 years, it attracted the ancient world's greatest scholars. In its confines, Euclid mastered geometry, Archimedes struggled with mechanics, Ptolemy constructed his astronomical model, and Herophilus located intelligence within the brain. The library's destruction signaled the onset of the Dark Ages. The erection of the new facility invites us to consider the lessons its predecessor's history holds for the information age:

Information is not knowledge. The Alexandrian librarians didn't just collect documents; they struggled to create order (cosmos) from chaos. They developed cataloguing systems, defined disciplines, and produced definitive editions of significant works. Today's interfaces and search engines must support multiple paths to knowledge, but our ultimate goal must still be to seek order from informational chaos.

Information is a global resource. Alexander built his city at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia. His empire was populated by people from across the world. He encouraged intermarriage and respect for all faiths. The library extended these ideals, preserving works from diverse traditions. Modern archives must do the same.