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Google To Digitize Much of Harvard's Library

Posted by timothy on from the that's-a-lot-of-library dept.

FJCsar writes "According to an e-mail sent today to Harvard students, Google will collaborate with Harvard's libraries on a pilot project to digitize a substantial number of the 15 million volumes held in the University's extensive library system, which is second only to the Library of Congress in the number of volumes it contains. Google will provide online access to the full text of those works that are in the public domain. In related agreements, Google will launch similar projects with Oxford, Stanford, the University of Michigan, and the New York Public Library. As of 9 am on December 14, a FAQ detailing the Harvard pilot program with Google will be available at hul.harvard.edu."

8 of 296 comments (clear)

  1. ads by clovercase · · Score: 5, Funny

    will there be ads for particle accelerators, scanning tunneling microscopes and tokamaks in the margins?

    1. Re:ads by IntelliTubbie · · Score: 5, Funny

      will there be ads for particle accelerators, scanning tunneling microscopes and tokamaks in the margins?

      Yes, but it'll be mixed in with ads for V14gr4, male "enhancement", and Nigerian wealth opportunities. When the scientists complain, the humanities faculty will protest that spam is a perfectly valid epistemology, and that the scientists' attempt to impose an orthodoxy of "truth" in advertising is simply a power grab to extend Western, white male hegemony. At which point, the scientists will defect to MIT's library down the street.

      Cheers,
      IT

      --

      Power corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely.

  2. Re:Not Just Harvard by BizidyDizidy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Also according to the summary, Einstein.

    --
    The safest way to approach lava is to have another person with you and he goes first.
  3. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    If I download a book, when do I have to upload it again? What is the late fee if I forget?

  4. Google to cache the Universe by sjrstory · · Score: 3, Funny

    Seeing as Google cached the entire Internet (the last page of the Internet can be seen here): http://www.google.ca/search?q=cache:dQrQDn0dHW8J:w ww.1112.net/lastpage.html+the+end+of+the+Internet& hl=en&client=firefox-a Google is now looking to cache everything else in the Universe :)

  5. 15 million volumes? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Please, give me the the values in standard metrics, like Libraries of Congress!

    1. Re:15 million volumes? by commodoresloat · · Score: 4, Funny
      The British Library (www.bl.uk) has 150 million items

      He means just books and such. It's not fair counting umbrellas.

  6. Do no evil. by nels_tomlinson · · Score: 4, Funny
    Their corporate motto is ``do no evil'', and we've all applauded that, but this is such a great thing that I think we could give them a pass on at least one evil act.

    Maybe they could do something really evil to Microsoft, and then we could say: ``Well, you digitized Harvard's library, so we'll let it pass this time.''

    --
    See what I've been reading.