6

Ophrah Winfrey‘s revived book club will do the classics–three to five a year. Great excuse for local libraries to print out hard copies of Project Gutenberg texts and also recommend them in e-book form, not just on paper. And if Oprah can send a little money in PG’s direction, so much the better.

Again, I’m not saying, “Hey, Oprah, just talk up the e-books and the printouts.” Most readers will want the familiar medium of paper, and many will insist on commercial editions–I’m happy to see the publishers get the business, which, these days, they badly need. But she could do a major service by also reminding viewers of the “free” electronic option and the printout one.

If, along the way, Oprah can promote the concept of public domain and call for reduced copyright terms, then so much the better.

My suggestion for the first title, by the way, is My Antonia–hardly the most original selection but a very appropriate one. Find it at Amazon.com or via a Web site with material from PG.

 
6