ABSTRACT
The frictions present in the philosophical underpinnings of bibliographic control in libraries are discussed by examining the treatment of the concepts of works and texts in the literature of bibliographic control against the theories of works and texts as developed by critical theorists such as Barthes, Deleuze and Guattari, and Hayles. A radical rethinking of traditional conceptions of the work, text, and information is required if we are to have a new vision of “the library,” especially one that truly approaches a “universe of knowledge.”
In the hallway there is a mirror which faithfully duplicates all appearances. Men usually infer from this mirror that the Library is not infinite (if it really were, why this illusory duplication?); I prefer to dream that its polished surfaces represent and promise the infinite …”(Borges, 2007, p. 51)
