Whyte Memorial Lecture

When what is new is not: the information society in perspective

Presented by Emeritus Professor W. Boyd Rayward

WHEN WHAT IS NEW IS PERHAPS NOT: THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN

PERSPECTIVE

Jean P. Whyte Inaugural Lecture

Monash University August 17, 2009

By

W. Boyd Rayward

Prof. Emeritus, The University of New South Wales And The University of Illinois

Visiting Scholar, University of Ghent

CAST OF CHARACTERSPERSONS: Paul Otlet (1868-1944), Belgian lawyer, internationalist, pacifist, Henri LaFontaine, (1854-1943), Belgian lawyer, socialist senator, Nobel Peace Prize laureateHerbert Haviland Field (1868-1921), American zoologist, Director CBHenry Forster Morley (1855-1943), English Chemist, Director ICSL

INSTITUTIONS:The International Institute and Office of Bibliography, Brussels (1895 – 1990)Office and Union of International Associations, Brussels (1907 – the present) Concilium Bibliographicum , Zurich (1895 – 1942) The Royal Society of London, (1660 – the present)(League of Nations Committee &Institute International Intellectual Cooperation (1920-1945)

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INNOVATIONS:Universal Bibliographic Repertory, 1895-1934 (16million entries)Bibliographia Zoologica, Physiologica, Anatomica (20 million cards) International Catalogue of Scientific Literature, 1900-1914 ( 259 vols)

TECHNOLOGIES:Bibliographic printing and publishingCards and cabinetsScientific and bibliographical classification systems, especially the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC)Mondothèque

Paul Otlet Henri La Fontaine

Salle des Répertoires, Office International de Bibliogrpahie

6 Applied Sciences Medicine and Technology 62 Engineering in general622 Mining669 Metallurgy(485)Sweden : related to

31 statistics

[622+669](485):31

Statistics of mining and metallurgy in Sweden

Example of a UDC Number

Concilium Bibliographicum’s new building, Zurich

Stored card sets for the Concilium BIbliogrpahicum

A. MathematicsB. MechanicsC. PhysicsD. ChemistryE. AstronomyF. BiologyG. MineralogyH. GeologyJ. GeographyK. PaleontologyL. BiologyM. BotanyN. ZoologyO. AnatomyP. PathologyQ. PhysiologyR. Bacteriology

32 regional Bureaux including NSW, Qld, SA,Vic,WA8 sets subscribed to in Australia

Sections of the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature

Paul Otlet’s vision of a scholar’s work station

Whyte Memorial Lecture

When what is new is not: the information society in perspective

Presented by Emeritus Professor W. Boyd Rayward