[jrdixey]

Having worked in a campus library for a year and in public libraries for four years, I've become quite familiar with eResources like journal articles and online newspaper archives. I teach students how to use Google Scholar all the time to access licensed journal articles, and recently have begun teaching them how to use Google Books to find out whether a particular book that they're considering getting via interlibrary loan will help them in their research.

Many people don't know that their local public and university libraries have licensed access to newspaper articles, magazine articles, journals, etc. and all they would need to do is obtain a public library card (usually free) or get a community borrower's card from the university in order to get access to what the libraries are licensing for them anyway. (Our local university offers community borrower cards for $25 per year.)

As I understand it, one consequence of the settlement is that Google will be able to work directly with libraries to license the full content of scanned books to their card holders. This would work similarly to licensed use of journal articles, where there is an authentication step, but otherwise no cost to the individual reader.

There are all kinds of ways Google can (and undoubtedly will) monetize this, but I hope that with Google turning up Books results in regular search results, and with the Google Books preview screen showing how someone can get the full book (either physically or virtually) from their local libraries, people will become more aware of what's already available to them for free or very low cost -- with the licensing being paid for en masse by libraries.

jrd