Internet search services provider Google, Inc., US, is reportedly slowing down its book-scanning work with partner libraries, as observed by librarians involved with the digitisation project. However, it remains unclear what this would mean for the company's long-term investment in the Google Books project.
Google has digitised more than 20 million books to date and continues to scan books with library partners. Librarians at several of Google's partner institutions, including the University of Wisconsin systems and the University of Michigan, confirmed that the pace has slowed.
Some institutions struck agreements with Google to scan only specific collections. Much of that work has now wrapped up. The University of Texas at Austin, for instance, signed on to have Google digitise its Latin American collection that includes about half a million volumes.
According to a report published in The Chronicle, Google is yet to confirm if it has pulled back from its longstanding goal of collecting all of the world's knowledge. Some of its digitisation efforts have reportedly shifted to Europe. Lately, much of the company's public focus has been on how to use individuals' data to create more focused advertising and online browsing rather than mass digitisation.
In the meantime, a copyright-infringement lawsuit brought against it by authors' and publishers' groups drags on. HathiTrust and five universities, including Michigan's and Wisconsin's, face their own challenge from the Authors Guild and other groups over control of the scanned works.
