Update on Google-Michigan book scanning

Jenny Rode, Book-scanning agreement works for U-M, Ann Arbor News, December 24, 2006.  Excerpt:

University of Michigan library officials say Google's efforts to digitize the university's seven million books and journals is going "extremely well.''

The California-based Internet search company is electronically scanning millions of volumes from U-M libraries and making them available online through Google.com/books, its book search division.

John Wilkin, associate university librarian at U-M, said he's not sure how far along the project is, but said it's within five years of being finished.

"We're just cranking through things in terms of the scanning at a rate that would exceed one million (volumes) a year,'' Wilkin said. He added that the project's progress puts to rest the skepticism expressed by some early on that the amount of work to be scanned wasn't feasible....

Wilkin said there are several benefits to putting the university's books, journals and magazines online. "Scholars are encountering things they wouldn't otherwise,'' he said. "They are making extraordinary finds they never would have known about. People around the world are having access to knowledge and scientific and technical literature that they wouldn't have had access to before.''

He also said the digitization is good for preserving materials. Before 1990, high-acid paper was used that is now deteriorating on the shelves.