Isn't the internet fantastic - here I am in sunny Seattle (whilst all of you are freezing in Melbourne) and doing my homework on e-books.
Project Gutenberg looks very interesting and I have no qualms about accessing the full text of books online provided there are no copyright issues. I had a look at the library of Dr Widger and found the books of John Galsworthy, including the Forsyte Saga, but I'm not sure if reading books online suits me (I prefer to sit on the couch with my feet up or maybe in bed at the end of the day). I read about Project Gutenberg and how it favours plain text because of its longevity (text is available on all computers and text is insurance against future obsolesence).
I also had a look at World Public Library, but it required a membership to access the full text - though at a modest price of $8.95 per year.
The main winners of e-books would be academic libraries - instead of having to queue for limited copies of set texts, students could read the texts on line. I had a look at what Springer have to offer, and they can provide unlimited access, archiving rights, book level chapter searches, etc. However - price is by negotiation! There may be opportunities for e-books in our library, if certain texts are set as reading for those in training.
1 comment:
Yes, we are freezing in Melbouren 11 degrees yeasterday!! Keep up the great work
Lynette
Post a Comment