MBooks: Library transforms research through digital archive

Updated 10:00 AM Sept. 5, 2006

MBooks: Library transforms research through digital archive

By Kelly Cunningham
Office of the Vice President for Communications

The first digital works resulting from the U-M/Google Digitization Partnership now are being used to enhance the University Library's online catalog.

The online catalog points to a new U-M Library system called MBooks developed specifically for the materials digitized by Google. The system, intended to support scholarly research, was designed to meet the specialized needs of researchers by providing more information about works in the collection and—where allowed—actually making the text of works available through the catalog.

In addition to a page-turning function, the online material includes updated bibliographic information, persistent URLs—essential for proper citation—and the ability to change resolution (i.e. zoom in or out) and alter format (such as converting to PDF). A function that allows users to magnify or rotate an image is important for researchers who must study detailed images, such as formulas for chemical compounds or intricate historical cartography, and for persons with some disabilities.

From the initial days of the partnership, the University Library has anticipated providing these services to its research community, says John Wilkin, co-interim University Librarian. "One of our goals has been to create a digital archive that not only preserves the Library's collections for future generations, but also allows today's researchers and scholars to make use of the myriad research opportunities offered by a digital archive. Our partnership with Google is helping us accomplish this goal at an unprecedented pace."

For uncopyrightable works (such as those created by the U.S. government),
materials in the public domain, and works authorized for public display by the copyright holder, the text will be fully viewable. For all material, the user may search within a volume and retrieve the number of times a search term appears per page. This feature is not only useful for determining relevancy, but also for scholarship requiring precise and exhaustive citation.

"A project like this, where we are comprehensively digitizing an entire research library of approximately 7 million volumes, results in an extremely broad cross-section of titles being archived. The materials represent a date range of more than 300 years, dozens of languages, and every major subject area in the University Library's collection," Wilkin says.

Included in the material will be the University's extensive federal government document collection. A small sampling of documents available today includes the diplomatic correspondence of Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, and approximately 2,200 Congressional hearings from the 1970s and 1980s.

Productive scholarship, from the modest freshman term paper to the most advanced research project, depends on quality of search and ease of access to source materials, says John King, vice provost for academic information. "These new systems will bring a transformation in scholarly productivity and quality. Scholars will be able to find virtually everything available on their topic easily and quickly. Public domain materials will be available instantly, while copyrighted materials will be readily accessible through the Library's conventional processes."

MBooks: Library transforms research through digital archive

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