... is a basic book. In
despite their new homepage interface (English only)
A librarian explained that a library is the rational constitution of a collection of books, depending on choices. But anyway, it is clear that Google does not become that kind of library. Google clearly aims to propose a more or less near-term, all the existing books through Google Books.
However there is another approach to define a library: it is possible to find books by browsing the shelves.
I thought for a moment that Google was interested in offering them the Literacy Project, ie a thematic (literature) in the collections digitized by Google.
And seeing the left column of this new homepage, I thought my dreams goodbye : A list of topics, so an opportunity to finally learn everything that Google had been able to scan, for example, the history of medieval Europe.
Alas! Only eight categories are available: Philosophy, Economics, Political Science, Linguistics, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology.
The humanities are not.
And besides, as for the Literacy Project, these are not classes: it is a simple search on a field
Click on the "category" Philosophy "comes to search Subject = Philosophy.
We therefore find (on November 5 2008) 1575 books.
But it is so little class, if I replace "Philosophy" to "Philosophy," I can not find more than 56 pounds .
And within that category, I can not go further in precision.
So what's the point?
Personally, I would say nothing. Strictly.
It does not even give an idea of the number of books scanned by Google as "subject" (but "social sciences" can not be considered a "subject"), since the list obtained is dependent on the indexing is not multilingual.
However, it is used to dream about what Google could one day offer.
Google has agreements in effect with WorldCat , with Sudoc . Why not get their indexing, and especially their listing Dewey?
This would navigate through the collections on Google that model, invented by OCLC.
The classification obtained is then combined with a subject search, and it finally becomes interesting. So
dream ...
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