• DocumentCode
    800598
  • Title

    Imagining information retrieval in the library: Desk Set in historical context

  • Author

    Knott Malone, Cheryl

  • Author_Institution
    Sch. of Inf. Resources & Libr. Sci., Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ, USA
  • Volume
    24
  • Issue
    3
  • fYear
    2002
  • Firstpage
    14
  • Lastpage
    22
  • Abstract
    In the 1950s, a computer that could hold the contents of a library, retrieve facts and formulate questions was laughable to many. The 1957 movie "Desk Set" accurately mirrored the way ordinary citizens perceived computers and their possible consequences. On another level, the film\´s focus on libraries was an ideal juxtaposition of humans\´ intellectual capacity with machines\´ processing capacity.
  • Keywords
    cinematography; history; information retrieval systems; library automation; technological forecasting; Desk Set; citizens perceptions; computers; fact retrieval; film; historical context; human intellectual capacity; library contents; library information retrieval; machine processing capacity; movie; question formulation; Computer aided manufacturing; Consumer electronics; Cultural differences; Government; Image retrieval; Informatics; Information retrieval; Libraries; Military computing; Motion pictures;
  • fLanguage
    English
  • Journal_Title
    Annals of the History of Computing, IEEE
  • Publisher
    ieee
  • ISSN
    1058-6180
  • Type

    jour

  • DOI
    10.1109/MAHC.2002.1024759
  • Filename
    1024759