This NY Times article examines the controversy surrounding Google’s plan to digitize “the world of books”.<\/p>\n
This is not just about out of print books anyone –<\/p>\n
\nMany scholars initially sided with Google in 2004 when its scanning project, originally designed to create a kind of universal card catalog, drew lawsuits from the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers. But the settlement transformed Google’s plan into something far more ambitious.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\nOnline users of Google’s digital library and store would get free access to 20 percent of any book and be able to pay to read the rest. Every library in America would be able to offer free, full access to Google’s library at one terminal. And universities would be able to purchase access to the entire collection. Revenue would be split among Google, authors and publishers<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
As a textbook author, I am somewhat unclear as to what this approach would offer and what content it would cover. If a university library gets the entire collection, would that mean that a previous edition of one of my books would be available via library computers? One could debate the book business forever and clearly change is afoot in the textbook area, but without inventives somewhere quality instructional materials may represent the next educational crisis. I am thinking we may see a form of government subsidy<\/a> via grants.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n