Google, Authors Guild Reach Settlement - What Searchers Will See
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I didn't have space in the previous section to mention one of the best parts of the settlement. It authorizes Google to provide free, full-text, online viewing of millions of out-of-print books at designated computers in US public and university libraries. This opens many tomes to academics, scholars, and plain library patrons who might not have even been aware of a particular book's existence, let alone where to get it.
Anyway, how does this change the results that Google returns today and in the future? To start with, you can search over the full text of about seven million books through Google Book Search. Here's a classic example:
My search was on the phrase “It was the best of times,” the opening to A Tale of Two Cities. I was afraid I'd have a Dickens of a time finding it when it wasn't the first entry on the first page, but all I had to do was scroll down a little; it came up in the fifth position. In addition to the remarkably clear text, I can benefit from a whole range of options offered on the right side.
First of all, if I want to, I can download it. I can view the plain text, which seems to present the entire book in a different, clearer font. Clicking on “About This Book” takes me to a page that reads like a profile of it; it includes key words and phrases, the table of contents, popular passages from the book, reviews, references to the book from web pages and from other books...the list goes on, and it's so complete that I really recommend you try searching for books through Google yourself.
But wait, there's more. I can search within the book itself for more phrases. I can buy this book from a number of different online sources. I can even find it in a library. I can read the book online, and write a review.
I can even add it to my library! What does that mean? If you have a Google account, you now have a library to which you can add books. Other people can view the books in your library. They can't see your name or email address though; they can only see the nickname you choose when you first decide to save a book to your library.
Next: The Future of Book Search >>
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