Why is Google scanning all the books in the world? What would be the point?

Question

Thats all some people do everyday sit in a small cubicle and use a foot activated camera and go book by book page by page scanning every book in the world. For what? I dont work there because if I did they would tell me not to say this. But who cares because I dont work there.

Answer 1

Actually you can read up more on this here
www.google.com/press/pressrel/print_library.html

But the basic idea is that by making all the book available in digital form, google hopes to make searching a more useful experience.
The search has emerged as the single most frequent activity in the online world today. However most search engines hit a block against
- books: How do you search through them even though you know the data is there.
- music: how to you search music just based on lyrics etc
- pictures: how do you do a topical search on them

etc.
Scanning books and then digitising their text is something like a 1st step to solving the 1st problem.

Answer 2

Google is doing this because they want people to be able to search for books using their search engine. They want people to be able to say "well that's one more reason I use Google." Yeah the google guys aren't just out for money, but any company keeps that in mind and apparently they think this will help. I personally am glad they are doing this because it means that books won't be lost forever. Stories will be able to be found and read as long as Google and the internet are up. Yes Google has pelople doing that every day with the foot operated camera and all, but think, it's a job for people, so there are that many less unemployed, and it means you and I can find almost any book online instead of having to go store to store looking for it.

Answer 3

It's a major feat. It's tough. But it has to be done. When it's done, think of how much more information is digitally backed up. If a library burns down, you have a safety. Books can't last forever. Why should Google care? Google's main goal is to make the entire world searchable. It's an impossible goal to reach, but by digitizing the books, they're getting closer and closer. Yes, someone is sitting there all day, but it's for the better good; and they're probably interns.