Google Library - Largest Online Book Repository In The Worl

[Lee]

Google is moving to assemble what may become the world's largest free library, a repository of information beyond the dreams of the ancients who built the legendary libraries of Alexandria.

Google, the leading internet search engine has made agreements with major universities and research institutions in the US, and Oxford University in England, to convert their libraries into digital files, freely searchable on the internet. It means the huge intellectual resources of Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Michigan and the New York Public Library will be available and searchable worldwide.

Google, flush with money from its $2 billion stockmarket float earlier this year, will underwrite the project to scan and digitise tens of thousands of documents a day at each of the collaborating libraries.

The New York library is allowing Google to scan books no longer covered by copyright. Harvard has allowed scanning of an initial 40,000 volumes of the 15 million it holds, while it assesses Google's skills. Oxford wants Google to scan all its books published before 1901.

Wilkin, a University of Michigan librarian working with Google, told Forbes magazine yesterday: "Some people will worry that this is the beginning of the end of libraries, but it is (what) we have to do to revitalise the profession and make it more meaningful."

US librarians estimated the task could cost $US150 million ($A191 million) for 15 million books and take up to 10 years.

There is serious business behind Google's philanthropy. Google is locked in battle with Yahoo, Amazon and Microsoft for search engine supremacy and billions of dollars in advertising revenue.

The library project is seen as one of an expected range of innovations designed to consolidate Google's popularity.

In Australia, Google is well ahead of its competition. The Hitwise internet research organisation shows Google with 13 per cent of the hits on all Australian websites, double the market share of eBay (5.47 per cent) and five times greater than Yahoo (2.46 per cent) and ninemsn, (2.26 per cent).

The Google agreements are not exclusive. But Google and its rivals are not alone. The US Library of Congress has announced a plan involving libraries in the US, Canada, Egypt, China and the Netherlands to create an open digital archive on the internet of 1 million books, the first 70,000 volumes to be available by next April.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&oi=ne...787082442.html

I guess we can see where a lot of their IPO funds are going to be spent now.

Interesting stuff indeed.

Regards,

Lee

[retrograde]

While I'm not a Google stockholder, I always get excited by articles about them. It's fun to see what new unexpected projects they're starting, especially things like this.