Summary: In our efforts to use the writings of others to bootstrap our own learning we often do full-text searches. While we're used to doing this with materials that have been specifically written for the web, we're not yet used to the possibility of having access to all of the world's writings. Maybe it's time to get used to the idea!!
In this entry I'm referring to the knowledge quest that starts with the phrase search, i.e., the entry of a phrase , e.g, "individualized, web-based, instruction", "weapons of mass destruction", or "yogic support of family peace", etc., and the resulting web-derived return of print-based (as opposed to web-based) passages containing the search phrase. Several web services are on the threshold of doing exactly this.
Type a word or phrase and, a few seconds later, a list of books that contain your phrase will be presented to you. This via the Google Print service. (Address: http://print.google.com/). This service gives tangible evidence of the coming of a time when we will have access the digitized contents of all of the world's books, past and present (out of print, in print). The reality of full access will take a while. After several searches I've had its possibilities amply demonstrated!*
Excerpts from the 12/14/04 Google Announcement and Description of the service (the emboldening is mine):
"We believe passionately that such universal access to the world's printed treasures is mission-critical for today's great public university," said Mary Sue Coleman, President of the University of Michigan.For publishers and authors, this expansion of the Google Print program will increase the visibility of in and out of print books, and generate book sales via "Buy this Book" links and advertising. For users, Google's library program will make it possible to search across library collections including out of print books and titles that weren't previously available anywhere but on a library shelf.
Users searching with Google will see links in their search results page when there are books relevant to their query. Clicking on a title delivers a Google Print page where users can browse the full text of public domain works and brief excerpts and/or bibliographic data of copyrighted material. Library content will be displayed in keeping with copyright law. For more information and examples, please visit http://print.google.com/googleprint/library.html.
Such a huge project: all books under copyright and all books in the public domain. Google estimates that it will take years to put together the total digitized library.
Now we have the technical ability to access the digitized contents of all of the world's books (paper or electronic), as long as there is one scanable copy to be put in the digital domain. Google is working with libraries to scan in rare texts.
Project Gutenberg is also a resource to turn to for books that are out of print (no longer being printed by publishers): Any book that is/was out of print may be accessible as an ebook through project . While Project Gutenberg specializes in US and English books it also has a big roster of books written in other languages. The total collection includes more than 15000 ebook titles.
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