Bernhard Eversberg wrote:
<snip>
We can, however, *NOT* conclude that 17.2% of total borrowings could be
satisfied by using GBS since, other than in the sample, the majority of
books borrowed is 20th cent. and later (where GBS coverage is
considerably smaller):
In the total number of recorded borrowings, we found
1 % before 1900
80 % 1900-1999
19 % 2000-
Only 24 full text instances are after 1899, about 8% of borrowings
within that period. Currently mostly just snippets, of course!
To be more realistic, the sample should thus have covered time periods
in a very different way...
</snip>
Very interesting numbers. One caveat however: for those outside of the U.S., we cannot see nearly as much as people in the U.S. For example, see Cutter's Rules from 1904, which we should see in its entirety:
http://books.google.com/books?id=X078UC_a7IIC&dq=dictionary+catalog+rules&ei=bF2wS4PuKpikyATolJmdAg&cd=1
at least on my machine in Italy, I only get the metadata. But if you go through a proxy server, e.g. Sly at http://www.slyuser.com/, copy and paste the URL for this same book and you can see it, obviously because the proxy machine is in the U.S.
I am still not sure why Google does that for books that are clearly in the public domain. And, *I believe* that whenever we see only the metadata in Google Books, the scans are always there, only we are not allowed to see them. When the Google agreement goes through, all of these books should be viewable. Someone please correct me if I am wrong!
In that case, only 37 out of 500 books (barring problems with editions) would not be available (or 92% availability if my math is correct). That seems like a pretty reasonable rate even for a normal library, and especially for a non-US institution looking for non-English language materials.
I know that Google will be starting scanning of books Italian libraries for older books: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8561245.stm
James Weinheimer j.weinheimer_at_aur.edu
Director of Library and Information Services
The American University of Rome
via Pietro Roselli, 4
00153 Rome, Italy
voice- 011 39 06 58330919 ext. 258
fax-011 39 06 58330992
Received on Mon Mar 29 2010 - 04:37:18 EDT