Microsoft and Google continue to add to the ever increasing numbers of books that have been digitized and are searchable online.
In December Microsoft announced a beta version of its book search engine, called Live Search Books http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=&scope=books#q= The search engine has the scanned copies of non-copyrighted works from the collections of the British Library, the University of California and the University of Toronto. Microsoft also announced new partnerships with the New York Public Library and the American Museum of Veterinary Medicine.
In the CNet article, Microsoft releasing book search in betahttp://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-6141162.html,
it was also revealed that Microsoft will be adding "medical content to its Windows Live Academic Search - http://academic.live.com -, an engine that searches full texts of journals in conjunction with institutions' subscriptions to them."
Google's recent announcement of a partnership with the University of Texas at Austin reminds everyone that they will not to be left behind in the effort to digitize and make available to the public the wealth of knowledge in academic libraries. A number of books from the university's "celebrated archive on Latin American history and culture" will be part of the initial scanned offerings.
