
Google will scan ancient Italian books in Rome and Florence - helwr
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541304575099943467728882.html
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gruseom
This is the sort of thing that keeps me a big fan of Google. Who else would
undertake to digitize 15th century Italian manuals? Google have redrawn the
traditional lines separating commercial activity, academic research, and
public service.

Speaking of Google books, our local university library has many books
available online, especially up-to-date research literature that is hard to
get in print form. You can only read this stuff if you're sitting at a
workstation in the library, or if you have a student/faculty account. That's
reasonable. But they use proprietary e-book software that is so awful and
clunky that it's unusable. I keep thinking about that crappy software company
that was good at nothing but selling to university executives, and wishing the
library could just cut a deal to use Google Books instead.

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Jun8
Great news for would-be symbologists: You no longer have to brace the dangers
of Vatican intrigue to investigate ancient mysteries; just use your browser
(perky and beautiful European sidekick not included).

