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January 30, 2007
Maps Added to Google Books
Of course, there have long been annotated editions of many books, but in those cases we are limited by the editors' decisions on what material deserves greater explanation and what material stands on its own. With the Internet placing a universe of information at our fingertips, it is now easy for readers and scholars (especially those with access to library databases) to supplement their reading with background information and to find related texts. But sites like Google Books promise to make this process even easier and more fruitful by allowing the books themselves, in their digitized form, to be analyzed and enhanced.
In its own modest way, adding Maps to Google Books is an example of this. Have a look at the Google Books page for Around the World in 80 Days (scroll down to see the map). Having the map there adds something to the experience of this geography-centric novel, and it's not much of leap to wonder if a similar system might be able to pull in related images (say, hot air balloons of that era) or contemporary newspaper reviews of the book. The possibilities are almost endless, and, though one must always make the point that such technology is meant to enhance and not replace our beloved paper books, further exploration down this road would be a great thing for literature and learning.
On the subject of maps, specifically, as a map lover, I'm excited to see Google trying this out because, like Jerome Weeks, I believe that nearly every book would benefit from the addition of a map or two.
- C. Max Magee @ 7:49 AM ~
comments: 8 ~ Links to this post
bookbabie @ January 30, 2007 9:46 AMI love that Google has done this. Thanks for the link.
People must find out that a book exists before they become interested in buying, and Google is only making this process easier. If people were all that interested in printing off pirated copies of books, it would already be an epidemic. After all, photocopying technology has been around for years and yet I have never seen a pirated copy of a book and I doubt that very many other people reading this have either. Publishing companies are mad at Google because they want control over the process, and they have co-opted writers and creators by using scare tactics to convince them that it's in their best interest to oppose Google.
We let people go into Barnes & Noble or the library and read books "for free" all day. Thank goodness the publishing industry isn't threatened by this or we wouldn't be able to do that either.
Now, it isn't only because of the Internet. There are many other issues involved, including the Wall Street take over of magazine publishing, which we can go into at another time. However, the Internet is one factor.
How it will impact on book publishing is yet to be seen. I can't help but be concerned.
Probably the biggest issue is Wall Street pushing publicly traded media companies to cut costs and boost the bottom line, which makes it tough to invest in editorial staffs at newspapers and tough for midlist authors to get the promotional dollars they need.
Google, meanwhile, is making it easier for writers to find an audience (or for the audience to find writers). If we can all agree that there's not some kind of book pirating epidemic going on, I fail to see how Google is harming writers.
And perhaps the Internet is making it tough for writers because people have so many more ways to entertain themselves now rather than reading books, but the solution to that is not to try to stop the Internet, it's to get on there so kids grow up actually knowing what a book is.
To me, it's as though the publishing industry is trying to make itself obsolete.
@ January 31, 2007 10:43 PMSponsor:
