Amazon, My Private Library

by James Stegall

"I'm greedy. I want to walk into my local library and have every type of media available, from vinyl to MP3, Betamax to DVD, hardback to trade paper. I want the media at my command to originate from when it first started getting made, and since I'm also lazy, I want the library to recommend the media best suited to my tastes (based also on my current mood would be outstanding, but that's asking a lot). Once my library presents me with a list of potential, long-tailed media for my consumption, I also want to know whether other people liked it or not – because I put a lot of credence in what others think, and I don't want to get caught listening to unhip music, even if the library thinks I'll like it. If the requirements I just laid down almost sound like a certain online retailer, it's because I'm trying to think of all the ways that Amazon is not like a library. The biggest argument would be They charge for their stuff and that's true – but libraries aren't completely free either, especially when you figure the cost of traveling to them, paying late fees, donating to their underfunded existence, paying taxes, etc..." Read More