Sergey Brin, one of the Google founders, wrote recently an op-ed article “A Library to Last Forever” in The New York Times on the deal they have made which enables them to continue expanding on the Google Books project. Even though it is important to question the deal in terms of giving Google all the power over intellectual property held by libraries all over the world, it is a very intriguing thought. Especially for a student/and a full-time teacher on a tight budget.
During my studies this fall I have repeatedly resorted to the vaults of Google Books to bookmark curriculum-relevant literature, or just off-hand mentions in a lecture for future reference. It adds to the lure that you can preview the books (ranging from perhaps 20-40%) which gives you an idea of the content of the published work. That I can access it with Google iPhone Mobile App and read excerpts on the bus home from university adds to the brilliance of the whole venture.
I have been using Google Docs almost constantly in the past year, and I have continued to do so in my studies and during lectures and seminars. The great benefit is to share with other students which then can choose to contribute. Moreover, it’s great to hotlink referenced literature to Google Books in the document for later reference for all students in the document collaborating group.
One of the biggest problems at the beginning of the semester was to get hold of the relevant literature in hardback or paperback from the campus bookshop. Even retailers online had difficulty to produce copies in Norwegian or other Scandinavian languages. Enter Google Books. English editions are, most often, present, albeit only in preview. Imagine if one could reach an agreement with publishers, libraries and copyright holders, to pay a sum to access these vaults of knowledge without relying on campus bookshops to cough up a copy? Ideally it would be free, but I do understand that this would create havoc for the industry. For now, we have to accept environmentally unfriendly photocopying tiredly pages on pages of that one golden copy we got hold of…
What about old-fashioned books then? Well, when it comes to curricular literature, I would actually prefer it to be digital rather than to become dustgatherers for the rest of my life after my completed degree. Literature for leisure is a different matter. Moby Dick and Heart of Darkness will continue to pride my bookshelf, and I want to relax with a good hardback in my livingroom.
Update: Google Plans Electronic Book Store
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