THE UNIVERSE OF INFORMATION.pdf - ideals

mic and politic universalism, and, at the same time, a testimony
to the genius of France. It was important as a type. The
Exposition of 1878, «continuing the tendency of other expositions
to concern themselves more and more with cultural
matters», was the first to devote great space and effort to
international, scholarly, diplomatic and scientific congresses*.
At the next universal exposition in 1889, owing to «the increasing
world-wide proliferation of knowledge and scholarships
this conference-sponsoring aspect of the exposition was
emphasised more heavily, and over 69 international conferences
of various kinds were held. 80
The Exposition of 1900, the fourth of its kind, was attended
by more than 50,000,000 people. Most of the nations of
the world erected extravagant pavilions wherein was
exhibited anything that could be adduced to their
national glory. International juries deliberated upon the
exhibits, and, according to the Scot, Patrick Geddes, continued,
as they had in the past, to stand for «the general desire to advance
that widest utilisation of the best in which progress
lies». 81 The aims of this Exposition had become much more
complex than those of earlier expositions. Among them was
the desire
not only to educate in the popular sense, but to ease communication
among the world's scholars. In 1900 Esperanto was «so to speak,
placed in the world's market*. Scholars from everywhere arranged for
correspondence in four languages and established systems of bibliographical
exchange... Ignored by the mobs, these hundreds of meetings
probably best illustrate the aspirations of the Exposition's organisers.
Almost every imaginable group with interests transcending national
boundaries met in Paris that summer. 82
One of the 127 International Congresses which were held
•on this occasion was the third conference of the International
Institute of Bibliography. Like most of the other conferences
at the Exposition, it was organised and presided over by
distinguished Frenchmen. The President of the Bureau of the
Commission of Organisation was General Sebert, a member of
the Institut de France and the Vice-President was Prince Roland
Bonaparte. 83 All of the members of the Bureau were members
of the IIB. Among the individuals appointed as Members of
the Commission of Organisation, however, there were a number
of distinguished French bibliographers and librarians
who were not members of the IIB. The only non-French members
of the Commission were Otlet and La Fontaine. 84
In general terms, the aim of the Conference was «to discuss
the problems of compiling universal or particular bibliographic
repertories designed for students of all specialities»-
85 The Documents of the Conference made in clear that
free discussion of all kinds of classification systems would be
permitted, but that any resolutions which might suggest that
75