The Google Books Library Project began in December 2004 as a partnership between Google, Inc. and five libraries -- University of Michigan, Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford Universities, and New York Public Library.The partnership has grown to include several more libraries, including the University of Illinois.
Many details about Google Book Search have not been published by Google -- such as how many books are available, guidelines for selection, and the algorithm by which books are searched. What is known is that a search in Google Book Search will retrieve a variety of content from the full text to excerpts including tables of contents, indexes, title pages, and limited selections in which the search terms are used in context based on whether the content is in the public domain or depending on the arrangement with publishers. Google Book Search makes possible the exploration of what is between the covers of a book -- information that is not contained in a library's catalogue records.
