[Web4lib] Google Allows Downloads of out-of-copyright Books

[Jonathan Gorman]

>  Can/should libraries recommend this Google service, if it doesn't 
> support minimal functionality for the disabled.

I wonder if the quality of the scans are good enough pretty decent OCR can 
be done from them a reader program could use that script.  That would be a 
very nice.  On the other hand, I don't know why we would necessarily 
dismiss google for not having an audio version of their books.

Most libraries I've been in don't have noticeable magnifiers or similar 
technology for people with low-vision to read actual physical books.  I 
have no idea where I would go if I was low vision or even blind for help. 
It seems callous to point it out, but books are primarily a printed medium 
in the real world.  The google books share many of their 
shortcomings with real print books.

I don't want to dismiss concern about usability either though.  I think 
libraries should be striving to do everything in our power to make sure 
all of our patrons are served.  It just seems that many of the same 
procedures that apply to when a low-vision/blind patron needed a 
print book should be able to be applied to a google book or any other set 
of page images or a locked down "ebook".  I do worry that the quality of 
the scans might be too low to OCR correctly.  On the other hand, I've also 
seen books with really bad printing that I could barely read and I suspect 
no OCR could give anywhere near a reasonable accuracy rate.  What would 
your library do in that case?



Jonathan T. Gorman
Research Information Specialist
University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
216 Main Library - MC522
1408 West Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 244-4688