Google to become virtual library

[Chardok]

US news.

[Korvan]

The Guttenberg project is already doing this for works in the public domain, but is entirely free. Due to the ever-increasing copyright term, Google's system would be great for tracking down out-of-print but still copyrighted works.

[sketerpot]

That is most probably going to be an expensive subscription sevice. Still pretty awesome though.

You think so? The libraries who are lending their books to the effort apparently don't:

another linky

"It's a significant opportunity to bring our material to the rest of the world," said Paul LeClerc, president of the New York Public Library. "It could solve an old problem: If people can't get to us, how can we get to them?"

It's a public library, and they're excited about getting their books to the public. Unfortunately, copyright exemptions for libraries don't seem to extend to Google:

As it does with new books already included in its search engine, Google will only allow its users to view the bibliographies or other snippets of copyrighted books scanned from the libraries. The search engine will provide unrestricted access to all material in the public domain - work no longer covered by copyrights.

There are a lot of very valuable old books in those libraries that I'm sure are public domain by now.

[frigidmagi]

Hopfully it'll be free and I'll be able to digitally plunder at will!

Even if it isn't it's a big step in making information easier to get to isn't it?