What Is To Be Done? Burning Questions of the Digital Age

Aaron Delwiche provided the opening keynote for the Fall 2006 NMC Regional Conference, hosted by Trinity College in San Antonio.

Many cyberspace residents feel that America's current body of law is incapable of dealing with the complexities of digital culture. This serious problem transcends traditional ideology. Our legislators have spent most of their lives seeking and maintaining political office, and many have had little exposure to new media.

Is there any validity to the claim that current regulations affecting digital media are endangering the vitality of our democracy and sapping the economic health of our nation? Do restrictive copyright laws inhibit scholarly debate while weakening teachers in the classroom? Is it true that these laws throw roadblocks in front of artists while doing very little to protect the rights of creators?

Professor Aaron Delwiche suggested possible steps that librarians, teachers, administrators and students might take to transform the situation in a positive way.