¿Quemando bibliotecas? ¿O "solo" cerrándolas?

Miren el correo que acaba de llegar:

HEAR CLOSING - a message from Dr. David Duffy (PCSU/UH)

A message from Dr. David Duffy, Pacific Cooperative Studies
Unit/University of Hawaii:

Because of a lack of funds, the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) (http://www.hear.org) may close as soon as December 15, althoughthere may be enough funds to extend it until February 15. This will meanseveral things. The web site will be placed on a new server although itis not clear who will pay for the server or for transitioning the site.HEAR data will not be updated. The Pacific Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)
site (see http://www.hear.org/pier/abtproj.htm) will also become frozen,as will numerous books, reports and papers. As software evolves we willlikely lose the ability to access the data. The various list servers
will need new owners, otherwise moderated lists will cease to functionaltogether, while other lists will not be able to add or delete members.The Starr photo collection will remain accessible, but only through a
third party site that will charge for access.

I should point out that we have already lost the original home of thePacific Basin Information Node (PBIN) website, although it has foundtemporary refuge. Together with HEAR, this site represents the corporate memory both here in Hawaii and across the Pacific of efforts to sustainour natural ecosystems and agriculture against problems caused byspecies alien to the islands. HEAR also serves as the glue that holds the community together, providing information and facilitatingcommunication. I just hope hindsight is kind to this decision.

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NOTE FROM HEAR WEBMASTER:

PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS TO webmaster@hear.org

O sea, se está cerrando el acceso a un proyecto grande e importante (Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk - HEAR, que significa Ecosistemas de Hawaii en Riesgo; enfoca en especies invasoras), por falta de recursos para mantenerlo. Este sitio ha sido de gran ayuda sobre todo para las regiones tropicales, para las cuales no hay tantas fuentes de ilustraciones e información; Malezas de México tiene muchos enlaces hacía él. Si bien el mantenimiento de un sitio web grande cuesta algo (o sea, el servidor y actualizaciones ocasionales de software), no es comparable, por ejemplo, con el costo de la manutención de una biblioteca física.

No conozco la historia. Pero hace pensar: si no se pueden encontrar estos fondos modestos para siquiera mantener el acceso en el país más rico de mundo, ¿qué nos dice sobre el futuro de la información de interés público, necesaria para una sociedad funcional, disponible gratuitamente por internet?