In this two year master’s thesis, using concepts borrowed from media archaeology, I examine the construction, content and function of the alternative historical narrative that is mediated through the partnership between Google and Belgian museum and archives centre the Mundaneum. This alternative narrative presents Belgian bibliographers Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine as having prefigured the Internet and as having created an analogue “paper Google.” Through a close-reading of publicly available material related to the Google/Mundaneum partnership, I examine a set of issues relating to the interplay of dominant and alternative narratives, to the narrative function of realized and imaginary media, and to the implicit messages that this particular narrative mediates. In the study, I find that the examined alternative narrative is constructed both in opposition to and with support from the dominant narrative, and that recognition from international actors is used in order to confirm Europe’s place in Internet history. Furthermore, I note a tendency in the text to confuse and to conflate different media technologies. I argue that this confusion renders the narrative more flexible and dynamic, making it possible to connect the media created by Otlet and La Fontaine to any modern technology. Finally, I find that, by attaching different connotations or “media imaginaries” to the media depicted, the texts are able to present knowledge organization as a medium for peace, the Mundaneum as an important actor in information society, and Google as a company with its roots dug deep in European soil. / I den här masteruppsatsen diskuterar jag, utifrån begrepp lånade från mediearkeologi, det alternativa historiska narrativ som målas fram genom partnerskapet mellan Google och det belgiska museet och arkivet Mundaneum. Narrativet framställer de belgiska bibliograferna Paul Otlet och Henri la Fontaine som föregångare till Internet och uppfinnare till ett ”the paper Google.” Genom en närläsning av öppet tillgängligt material med anknytning till Google/Mundaneum-partnerskapet undersöker jag frågor som rör samspelet mellan dominerande och alternativa narrativ, verkliga och imaginära mediers narrativa funktion, och de implicita budskap som just detta narrativ förmedlar. I studien finner jag att det undersökta alternativa narrativet konstrueras både i motsats till och med stöd från det dominanta narrativet, och att erkännandet från internationella aktörer används för att bekräfta Europas plats i Internets historia.Jag noterar även en tendens i texten att blanda samman olika medieteknologier, och argumenterar för att denna förvirring i sig gör narrativet mer flexibelt och dynamiskt, och därmed gör det möjligt att sammankoppla medier skapade av Otlet och La Fontaine med vilken modern informationsteknologi som helst. Slutligen konstaterar jag att texterna, genom att fästa olika konnotationer eller “media imaginaries” vid de framställda medierna, framställer kunskapsorganisation som ett medium för fred, Mundaneum som en viktig aktör i informationssamhället och Google som ett företag med djupgående rötter i Europa.

Dissertação (Mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciência da Informação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Informação, 2014. / Submitted by Albânia Cézar de Melo (albania@bce.unb.br) on 2014-07-09T15:59:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_CarlosHenriqueJuvencioSilva.pdf: 8533227 bytes, checksum: 3e2002835f686a3a7f0dab90be122014 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Guimaraes Jacqueline(jacqueline.guimaraes@bce.unb.br) on 2014-07-11T12:12:09Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_CarlosHenriqueJuvencioSilva.pdf: 8533227 bytes, checksum: 3e2002835f686a3a7f0dab90be122014 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-11T12:12:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_CarlosHenriqueJuvencioSilva.pdf: 8533227 bytes, checksum: 3e2002835f686a3a7f0dab90be122014 (MD5) / A pesquisa investiga a criação, em 1911, do Serviço de Bibliographia e Documentação da Biblioteca Nacional e qual a influência do Instituto Internacional de Bibliografia (IIB), fundado em 1895 por Paul Otlet e Henri La Fontaine, nessa iniciativa, tema ainda pouco explorado pelos pesquisadores da Ciência da Informação. Sob este prisma a pesquisa analisa as repercussões do projeto Mundaneum nas ações de difusão de informações científicas da Biblioteca Nacional (BN) do Brasil. Busca também demonstrar que a criação do Serviço de Bibliografia e Documentação da Biblioteca pode ser considerada parte do projeto de cooperação internacional criado por Otlet e La Fontaine. Os procedimentos metodológicos consistiram em pesquisas bibliográfica e histórico-documental nos arquivos históricos da Biblioteca Nacional brasileira e nos arquivos do Mundaneum com sede na Bélgica, além dos arquivos do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro e do Itamaraty. Dentre os resultados da pesquisa estão o mapeamento do intercâmbio no campo da informação entre o IIB e a BN visando à criação do Serviço de Bibliografia e Documentação. A principal conclusão da dissertação é de que os contatos entre a Biblioteca e o Instituto tiveram, de fato, um papel determinante na construção de uma rede de cooperação científica no país. E esse papel foi desempenhado pelo Serviço de Bibliografia e Documentação da BN como peça fundamental, tendo à frente seu diretor Manoel Cícero Peregrino da Silva. ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT / The research investigates the creation, in 1911, of the Bibliography and Documentation Service in the National Library from Brazil and what would have been the influence of the International Institute of Bibliography (IIB), founded in 1895 by Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine, in this initiative, topic not yet explored by researchers of Information Science. From that perspective, the objective of the research is to analyze the impact of the project Mundaneum in the dissemination of scientific information in National Library from Brazil. It also seeks to demonstrate that the creation of the Bibliography and Documentation Service can be considered part of the international cooperation project by Otlet and La Fontaine. The methodological procedures consisted of bibliographic and historical-documentary research in historical archives of the brazilian National Library and in the archives of Mundaneum based in Belgium, in addition to the archives of the Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute and the Foreign Ministry. Among the search results are mapping the exchange in the field of information between the International Institute of Bibliography and the National Library aiming to create the Bibliography and Documentation Service. The main conclusion of this work is that the contacts between the Library and the Institute had, in fact, a key role in building a network of scientific cooperation in the country. In addition, the Bibliography and Documentation Service performed this role as keystone headed by its director Manoel Cícero Peregrino da Silva. ______________________________________________________________________________ RÉSUMÉ / La recherche porte sur la création, en 1911, du Service de Bibliographie et Documentation de la Bibliothèque nationale et l’influence de l’Institut International de Bibliographie (IIB), fondée en 1895 par Paul Otlet et Henri La Fontaine, dans cette initiative. Encore peu exploré par les chercheurs, les rapports entre la Bibliothèque et de l’Institut semblent avoir été décisif dans la construction d'un réseau de coopération scientifique au Brésil. De ce point de vue l’objectif de la recherche est d'analyser l’impact du projet Mundaneum dans la diffusion de l’information scientifique à partir de la Bibliothèque Nationale, aussi bien de comprendre la création du Service de Bibliographie et Documentation de la Bibliothèque dans le cadre du projet de coopération internationale conçu par Otlet et La Fontaine. Les démarches méthodologiques compreennent une recherche bibliographique et documentaire aux archives historiques de la Bibliothèque Nationale du Brésil et aux Centre d’archives du Mundaneum en Belgique, en plus des archives de l’Institut historique et géographique brésilien et celles du Ministère des Affaires étrangères. Parmi les résultats de la recherche on a établi une cartographie des échanges dans le domaine de l’information entre l’Institut International de bibliographie et la Bibliothèque Nationale. La principale conclusion de la recherche est que les rapport entre la Bibliothèque et l’Institut ont eu, en effet, un rôle clé dans la construction d’un réseau de coopération scientifique au Brésil et ce rôle a été joué par le Service de Bibliographie et Documentation ayant à sa tête son directeur Manoel Cícero Peregrino da Silva.