Comments on: Sony/Google hit 1 million books http://www.teleread.com/sony-reader/sonygoogle-hit-1-million-books/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:30:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Garson O'Toole http://www.teleread.com/sony-reader/sonygoogle-hit-1-million-books/comment-page-1/#comment-1113720 Garson O'Toole Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:50:21 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=25986#comment-1113720 Pond says "I see no way on google books to browse the ‘free public domain’ titles only." It is possible to restrict a Google Book search to fully accessible titles by using the <a HREF="http://books.google.com/advanced_book_search" rel="nofollow">Advanced Book Search webpage</A>. Clicking the "Full view only" option will assure that search results only include works that are fully readable. That includes many public domain titles together with books that rights holders have designated readable. Unfortunately, there are still works in the public domain that have been scanned but remain inaccessible with Google Books. For example, T. S. Eliot's collection of essays "The Sacred Wood" from the 1920s is findable in multiple editions, but the content is locked up. Some editions have later dates, e.g., 1945, 1960, and 1969. Yet there is an edition dated 1920 that is labeled "No preview available". Luckily, <a HREF="http://www.bartleby.com/200/sw11.html" rel="nofollow">the text of an edition of "The Sacred Wood" dated 1922</A> is available at the Bartleby website. Sadly, even works at Bartleby have no guaranteed stability. A note on the welcoming page says "Due to financial and usage considerations the reference works licensed from Columbia University Press and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt have been removed as of June 2009." Pond says “I see no way on google books to browse the ‘free public domain’ titles only.”

It is possible to restrict a Google Book search to fully accessible titles by using the Advanced Book Search webpage. Clicking the “Full view only” option will assure that search results only include works that are fully readable. That includes many public domain titles together with books that rights holders have designated readable.

Unfortunately, there are still works in the public domain that have been scanned but remain inaccessible with Google Books. For example, T. S. Eliot’s collection of essays “The Sacred Wood” from the 1920s is findable in multiple editions, but the content is locked up. Some editions have later dates, e.g., 1945, 1960, and 1969. Yet there is an edition dated 1920 that is labeled “No preview available”.

Luckily, the text of an edition of “The Sacred Wood” dated 1922 is available at the Bartleby website. Sadly, even works at Bartleby have no guaranteed stability. A note on the welcoming page says “Due to financial and usage considerations the reference works licensed from Columbia University Press and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt have been removed as of June 2009.”

]]> By: pond http://www.teleread.com/sony-reader/sonygoogle-hit-1-million-books/comment-page-1/#comment-1113261 pond Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:15:41 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=25986#comment-1113261 Is there any way to verify this number? It's huge, and if true, is a great boon to us all (so long as google continues, and continues to play nice; not so long ago google books would not release public domain texts that a current publisher had reprinted). I see no way on google books to browse the 'free public domain' titles only. Maybe I need to buy a Sony Reader in order to be able to do that? Is there any way to verify this number? It’s huge, and if true, is a great boon to us all (so long as google continues, and continues to play nice; not so long ago google books would not release public domain texts that a current publisher had reprinted).

I see no way on google books to browse the ‘free public domain’ titles only. Maybe I need to buy a Sony Reader in order to be able to do that?

]]> By: Paul Biba http://www.teleread.com/sony-reader/sonygoogle-hit-1-million-books/comment-page-1/#comment-1113241 Paul Biba Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:07:34 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=25986#comment-1113241 At the IDPF conference the Sony VP "promised" that a Mac version would be available, but wouldn't give a time frame. Wonder what's taking them so long. At the IDPF conference the Sony VP “promised” that a Mac version would be available, but wouldn’t give a time frame. Wonder what’s taking them so long.

]]> By: Marky http://www.teleread.com/sony-reader/sonygoogle-hit-1-million-books/comment-page-1/#comment-1113211 Marky Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:30:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=25986#comment-1113211 Unless you're a Mac user where you have no access to the Connect software and where there is no alternative easy to use web search to find the books. Have you ever tried navigating the PG website? Unless you’re a Mac user where you have no access to the Connect software and where there is no alternative easy to use web search to find the books.

Have you ever tried navigating the PG website?

]]>