Comparing Book Search Engines Internet Librarian 2006 By Greg R. Notess, SearchEngineShowdown.com

Contenders Amazon's "Search Inside the Book" A9 Google Book Search Open Content Alliance Individual publishers' initiatives Open Web

Amazon's "Search Inside the Book"

A9

Google Book Search

Open Content Alliance

Individual publishers' initiatives

Open Web

Scanned Books OCR Quality Varies Full Content Scans Huge Collection of Data Multiple Editions

OCR Quality Varies

Full Content Scans

Huge Collection of Data

Multiple Editions

Full Text Searching: Books New information source for searchers Searching, Not Reading Think About Potential Uses Limited Access, but Full(?) Search

New information source for searchers

Searching, Not Reading

Think About Potential Uses

Limited Access, but Full(?) Search

A9.com and Amazon Both can Search Inside the Covers A9: Check Books box Search Inside vs. Look Inside Currently Published Books (Including Reprints)

Both can Search Inside the Covers

A9: Check Books box

Search Inside vs. Look Inside

Currently Published Books

(Including Reprints)

Amazon Search Limit to Books Database Look for “Search Inside” or “Look Inside” image “See more references to. . .” Click here to see additional results Click here to see additional results that may be relevant to your search

Limit to Books Database

Look for

“Search Inside” or “Look Inside” image

“See more references to. . .”

Click here to see additional results

Click here to see additional results that may be relevant to your search

A9 Book Check ‘Books’ Database Larger Retrieval Set “See more references to. . .” Leads back to Amazon Phrase searching works in both

Check ‘Books’ Database

Larger Retrieval Set

“See more references to. . .”

Leads back to Amazon

Phrase searching works in both

Amazon Viewer Purchase/Read Books Online Highlight, Bookmark, Copy, Print Add Annotations Zoom Option under View

Purchase/Read Books Online

Highlight, Bookmark, Copy, Print

Add Annotations

Zoom Option under View

The Google Book Controversy “ The aim of Google Book Search is to help you discover books, not read them cover to cover” books.google.com/intl/en/googlebooks/help.html#whylogin

“ The aim of Google Book Search is to help you discover books, not read them cover to cover”

books.google.com/intl/en/googlebooks/help.html#whylogin

Google Books Search books.google.com Scans Books from Publishers Or Electronic Copies from Publishers Agreements with Publishers No Agreement=Not Included . . . Unless . . .

books.google.com

Scans Books from Publishers

Or Electronic Copies from Publishers

Agreements with Publishers

No Agreement=Not Included

. . . Unless . . .

Google Library: Free Part of Google Books Initiative Plan: Scan 5 Library Collections Old, Out of Copyright Books books.google.com/books?id=yGZZXIrbUKQC Freely Available to All 1922 and earlier

Part of Google Books Initiative

Plan: Scan 5 Library Collections

Old, Out of Copyright Books

books.google.com/books?id=yGZZXIrbUKQC

Freely Available to All

1922 and earlier

Google Library: Copyright 1923 to present Considered Under Copyright Even when NOT ! books.google.com/books?id=gJdHbAm4pPIC (Note the incomplete bibliographic data)

1923 to present

Considered Under Copyright

Even when NOT !

books.google.com/books?id=gJdHbAm4pPIC

(Note the incomplete bibliographic data)

Google Books: Access Levels Limited Access (May require logging in) Sample Pages (with publisher agreement) Snippet View (without agreement) Full View Or No Preview Available

Limited Access (May require logging in)

Sample Pages (with publisher agreement)

Snippet View (without agreement)

Full View

Or No Preview Available

Options in Brief View

Log In Screen

Snippet View

Sample Pages

Full View

Google Books Links To Publisher To Book Stores/Shopping Sites ABE, Alibris, Amazon, BN, BookSense, Froogle - (US) To Open WorldCat + 14 Other Union Cats Still not on all books; Separate results Doesn’t works well if meta data is poor

To Publisher

To Book Stores/Shopping Sites

ABE, Alibris, Amazon, BN, BookSense, Froogle - (US)

To Open WorldCat + 14 Other Union Cats

Still not on all books; Separate results

Doesn’t works well if meta data is poor

The UMich Option Google Scans in MIRLYN mirlyn.lib.umich.edu May include full text access of Government Publications Use Advanced Search Limit: Format “Electronic Resources”

Google Scans in MIRLYN

mirlyn.lib.umich.edu

May include full text access of

Government Publications

Use Advanced Search

Limit: Format “Electronic Resources”

Open Content Alliance (OCA) Announced, Live Later this Year? Internet Archive, Yahoo!, O’Reilly, U. Toronto, UC, Microsoft, & more Only Out of Copyright Works Or Publisher Permission

Announced, Live Later this Year?

Internet Archive, Yahoo!, O’Reilly, U. Toronto, UC, Microsoft, & more

Only Out of Copyright Works

Or Publisher Permission

OCA Availability Since Open: Could be Anywhere Google Books May Well Include Superior User Interface Possibility: Open Library: openlibrary.org Magnify Listen Page turning

Since Open: Could be Anywhere

Google Books May Well Include

Superior User Interface Possibility:

Open Library: openlibrary.org

Magnify

Listen

Page turning

Google & Amazon Both Can Have Old Books Amazon: As Reprints View Extracts Only, Log In to View How Much Depends on Publisher

Both Can Have Old Books

Amazon: As Reprints

View Extracts Only, Log In to View

How Much Depends on Publisher

To Find Specific Books Try Multiple Strategies Check by title at A9, Google Books, OCA Search open Web Check publisher sites, Ebrary, Netlibrary Look for illegal scans

Try Multiple Strategies

Check by title at A9, Google Books, OCA

Search open Web

Check publisher sites, Ebrary, Netlibrary

Look for illegal scans

Open Web Find All Kinds of Out of Copyright Books Includes Some Copyrighted Works Project Gutenberg (19,000+) gutenberg.org Online Books Page (25,000+) digital.library.upenn.edu /books Other nooks and crannies

Find All Kinds of Out of Copyright Books

Includes Some Copyrighted Works

Project Gutenberg (19,000+) gutenberg.org

Online Books Page (25,000+)

digital.library.upenn.edu /books

Other nooks and crannies

Search Techniques Phrase search title Phrase search from content (Maybe find extract at Amazon or publisher) Looks for lists of books Try title with no spaces Try author last name

Phrase search title

Phrase search from content

(Maybe find extract at Amazon or publisher)

Looks for lists of books

Try title with no spaces

Try author last name

Book Listing Technique QUERYWORD(S) intitle:"index of" "last modified size description" "parent directory" (Works in Google & Yahoo)

QUERYWORD(S) intitle:"index of" "last modified size description" "parent directory"

(Works in Google & Yahoo)

Publisher Sites May at Least Have TOC or Extracts May Give Full Access Even when Amazon and Google do not nap.edu/books/0309088534/html Compare NAP to Google to Amazon May Note Ebook Platform Netlibrary, Ebrary, Elsevier, Gale, etc.

May at Least Have TOC or Extracts

May Give Full Access

Even when Amazon and Google do not

nap.edu/books/0309088534/html

Compare NAP to Google to Amazon

May Note Ebook Platform

Netlibrary, Ebrary, Elsevier, Gale, etc.

Content Search Strategies Again, try A9, Google Books, OCA Find Book Record First, If Known Then Search Within, If Available Search for poor OCR Try several word combinations or phrases

Again, try A9, Google Books, OCA

Find Book Record First, If Known

Then Search Within, If Available

Search for poor OCR

Try several word combinations or phrases

Who Has Most? Too Varied to Tell Each has Unique Content Expect Many Changes & New Sources

Too Varied to Tell

Each has Unique Content

Expect Many Changes & New Sources

Questions? Thank you! [email_address]