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EDITOR'S CHOICE: Tony Delamothe Amnesia strikes the memory business BMJ 2008; 337: a1116 [Full text]

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Correction

Trevor Jackson   (7 August 2008)

Memory business better than ever

Stephen C. Due   (8 August 2008)

Amnesia strikes the memory business

Celine M Aranjo   (9 August 2008)

the irony of Google Scholar

Richard D Neal, LL13 7YP   (10 August 2008)

Correction 7 August 2008
Trevor Jackson, magazine editor BMJ Send response to journal: Re: Correction	Because of a cutting and pasting error, five crucial words were omitted from the print version of this article. The final sentence should have read "Now might be a good time for the British Library to thumb through a few of the books on its shelves to remind itself what a library is for - and for it to go out of the padlock business." A correction will be published in next week's print issue. The complete version of the article is available online. Competing interests: None declared
Memory business better than ever 8 August 2008
Stephen C. Due, Medical librarian Barwon Health Library Service PO Box 281 Geelong Vic 3220 AUSTRALIA Send response to journal: Re: Memory business better than ever	In making a good point very effectively, Tony Delamonthe has unfortunately misunderstood the import of the advertising for the British Library's Business Centre. The Centre provides information and advice that helps people protect their intellectual property. There is nothing in this enterprise that conflicts with the traditional values of libraries - it is essentially no different from advising an author on how to make the most of his or her rights and opportunities under copyright law. It would be better to acknowledge that libraries today are proving more effective than ever, thanks to digital technology, in their role as providers of ready access to information resources. Many libraries are digitising their collections of texts and images and making them freely available online. Readers can examine rare books from the British Library at http://www.bl.uk/treasures/treasuresinfull.html Libraries still play a vital role in collecting and organising published material, including material published online, so as to make it more accessible. For a balanced view of how the British Library sees its role in the research information cycle see http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/stratpolprog/redeflib/role/ The British Library is one of the world's great cultural and intellectual institutions, and its importance is growing, not diminishing, in the digital age. Competing interests: None declared
Amnesia strikes the memory business 9 August 2008
Celine M Aranjo, Retired GP Sydney, NSW, 2208,Australia Send response to journal: Re: Amnesia strikes the memory business	dear editor, I have greatly enjoyed reading this editorial. My thinking about Intellectual Property Rights is, I'm afraid negative as far as my thoughts are concerned. I do believe in the phrase 'the life you save may someday be your own' and extending this to 'the knowledge shared generously, could likely be a saviour to our progeny', which is far more important, would you agree? Competing interests: None declared
the irony of Google Scholar 10 August 2008
Richard D Neal, Senior Lecturer in General Practice North Wales Clinical School, LL13 7YP Send response to journal: Re: the irony of Google Scholar	Further to Delamothe's editorial there is a real irony in Google Scholar's strapline 'standing on the shoulders of giants'. Competing interests: None declared