Date: Tue, 10 May 2005 05:17:43 -0700 (PDT) From: Jack Eapen Google Print is a new service from the search engine giant.They partnered with publishers and major libraries to put the books online.Google entered into agreement with Oxford, Harvard,Stanford and the University of Michigan to digitizetheir library collections so that they are available online. The project, whichintends to mark a revolution in the information age, is expected to take up to10 years, with cost estimates ranging from $150 million to $200 million,comprising some 4.5 billion pages of text, would help researchers and give poornations access to global learning. So next time when you search for something,the first links will show a book icon next to them, if your search terms arerelated to a book. If the book is out of copyright, you can read it for free;otherwise, you can read excerpts and will be directed to the publisher�swebsite. Try this for example http://print.google...com/print?q=siddhartha European Union is up-in-arms against this move as they fearthis will create a US-centric knowledge base and downgrade Europe�scultural heritage. Jean-Noel Jeanneney _ who aspresident of the French National Library presented a vision of Googlepotentially hijacking "the thought of the world" in a book hepublished this week entitled, "When Google Challenges Europe.". So 6heads of state of Europe lead byFrench President Jacques Chirac have come forward supporting the creation of a"European digital library" They asked the EU to launch a European digital library after19 national libraries signed a motion urging action against the plans by Google. With Regards, Jack Eapen Environmental Health Project (EHP India) F-9/4, Vasant Vihar New Delhi-57 Ph:011-5101 0920,2614 9771/81 (Ext.245) Fax:011-5166 9281 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EHP India is the USAID Supported Urban Health Program in India Visit me at http://www.jackeapen.org