Google Adds University Of Texas To Its Book Digitization PlansGoogle Adds University Of Texas To Its Book Digitization Plans

Google plans to digitize more than 1 million books through a library partnership with the University of Texas at Austin.

The company on Friday announced plans to add the library's books to its online collection. The project will allow Internet users to read the university's public domain documents, including rare items from the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection.

The Benson Collection includes books, periodicals, pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, and other media from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and parts of the southwest United States.

"Intellectual discovery is at the heart of the scholarly research process," Fred Heath, vice provost and director of libraries at the University of Texas, said in a prepared statement. "The best collections of information are only as useful as the quality of the tools available for discovering and accessing that information."

Google Books said it will publish background information on books that are copyright protected, allowing Internet users to read a few lines of text and information about where they can buy or borrow the books. The news come as The Sunday Times of London reports that the European director of Google Book Search revealed a plan to work with publishers on making downloadable books, or portions of electronic books, more widely available.