1 Why should we use the TEI encodings?

The aim of the Text Encoding Initiative encodings is to provide a single XML implementation for all humanities documents. If you use the TEI, in theory at least, you do not need to have one encoding for catalogue style ‘metadata’ materials (which might be in a database), one encoding for the source documents (which might be in .pdf files or some other proprietary form), and yet another encoding for analytic, commentary, or teaching materials (which might be Microsoft files). Instead, you can use one encoding system for it all.

Why does this matter? Libraries, for example, are well used to having different materials in different forms: the different shapes of books alone dictate they be shelved separately. It matters because in the explosion of digital information in the last years we now have so many documents, in so many different forms, and so many different readers with so many different interests, that attempts to construct boundaries within this universe resemble clogdancing on quicksand. The many different readers need many and various routes to find the documents they want -- especially, to find the documents they did not know they wanted. Further, the many readers do not care what format the information is held in: to a reader searching the web, all documents look the same; all that matters is to find it. And, more practically, multiplication of document formats and encoding means multiplication of effort in supporting all these.