COPYCENSE

                        "Within one month Google announced two projects that will have profound implications for the future of librarianship.

"First up in November 2004 was Google Scholar, which aims to provide access to scholarly materials via the crisp and familiar Google search box. Soon the Scholar buzz was overshadowed by the December announcement that Google has entered into a partnership to digitize the materials of five leading research libraries: Harvard, Oxford, Michigan, Stanford, and the New York Public Library. The principal rationale for this project is that it will democratize access to the intellectual resources of elite institutions.

"The library material represents a radical expansion of the Google Print program. Google Print continues to generate significant discussion. One recent example is the March 2005 issue of American Libraries, which features a colloquium entitled, "Google at the Gate." Because of this, it is essential that we critically examine both the benefits and shortcomings of Google Scholar and Google Print."

Marcus A. Banks. The Excitement of Google Scholar, The Worry of Google Print. Biomedical Digital Libraries. March 22, 2005.

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