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November 19, 2006
Google Blog #2
Welcome the Cavaliers!
On November 14th, Google announced the University of Virginia will be included within their "Google Books Library Project." Essentially this project involves the digitalization of thousands of books which will then become available online through Google's Book Search Function. According to the press release, the inclusion of Virginia will allow the search engine access to "more than five million volumes, 17 million manuscripts, rare books and archives, and rapidly-growing digital collections."
Bret and Li had both heard of this program, I had not -- and I think it is pretty cool [probably because I typically search with (shhhh) yahoo]. Essentially anyone who has the internet can come and look through the books online. The only exception are books which are copyright protected -- but even with those you can look through the books in the most basic manner.
Through this addition, the google library continues to contain a well-respected holding of libraries, including "[the] University of California, Harvard University, University Complutense of Madrid, University of Michigan, the New York Public Library, Oxford University, Stanford University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison."
From a press release on December 14th, 2004, the goal of the project was to "make the incredible breadth of information that librarians so lovingly organize searchable online"
"Google's mission is to organize the world's information, and we're excited to be working with libraries to help make this mission a reality."
-Larry Page, Google co-founder and president of Products
Will they be able to organize ALL information?
Probably not, but by combining with these well respected Universities they are certainly getting their fare share of information. And when reading the release I couldn't help but think about how far internet technology has really taken us.....years ago you would have to drive to the library, find the library card in the stacks, walk to the book, and hand copy it if you wanted information. But now? I can read an online book from the 13th century while checking my portfolio and watching Saturday cartoons.
The result?
Schools are better
Education as a whole is better
The world around us is better
Google's innovation wins once again
For a full synopsis of Google's Book Literacy Project please see Bret's October 15th Blog: Google launches literacy project
Posted by grantrob at November 19, 2006 08:03 PM