 Early electronic hypertext systems were thus inspired by memex rather than modeled directly upon it.In "As We May Think", Bush describes a memex as an electromechanical device enabling individuals to develop and read a large self-contained research library, create and follow associative trails of links and personal annotations, and recall these trails at any time to share them with other researchers.This device would closely mimic the associative processes of the human mind, but it would be gifted with permanent recollection.