Libraries, Linguistics and Artificial Intelligence: J. C. R. Licklider and the Libraries of the Future

Abstract

In 1965, J. C. R. Licklider published a book regarding the “Libraries of the future”. This book was soon almost forgotten when a different paradigm of computing, partially created by Licklider himself, became dominant. However, a re-reading of the book, in hindsight, not only gives a glimpse of a seminal moment in the history human interaction with computers but allows a chance to see in a different light many issues still relevant to the field.

Keywords

• J. C. R. Licklider
• History of computing
• History of interfaces
• Speech understanding