The UCI Libraries will be participating in the Google Digitization Project beginning in the Spring Quarter of 2016. Through collaboration with the California Digital Library (CDL) and University of California Southern Regional Library Facility (SRLF), over the next two years approximately 16,000 items from the UCI Libraries’ general and special collections will scanned and uploaded to Google Books and HathiTrust, a central repository for digital books. The University of California San Diego and the University of California Riverside are also participating in this phase of the project. Previous UC participants include UC Davis and UCLA. Google and other libraries worldwide, including these other UC Libraries, have a long and successful record. Millions of items have been digitized and deposited in the HathiTrust for permanent preservation, with no loss or damage to any items.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What if the book I want now is checked for inclusion in the Google Digitization Project?
Items being scanned by Google will show as "out for scanning" in our library catalog and will be unavailable to our community for only short periods of time—usually 8 weeks or less. During that time, current UCI students, faculty, and staff will be able to place an interlibrary loan request for these items. Library staff members are more than happy to assist individuals with this process. For information, visit https://www.lib.uci.edu/interlibrary-loan or telephone 949-824-6839
Q: What will happen to the original books?
Google will return the print copies of the books sent for scanning to the source libraries for return to the collections. The scanning process for the books is preservation-sensitive and non-destructive to the materials.
Q: Will I be able to access complete digital copies of materials scanned through this process online?
Materials intended for inclusion in this phase of the Project are primarily in the public domain, meaning that they can be freely shared and will be fully accessible once they are scanned. When materials are covered by copyright or other restrictions, only snippets may be available, which is the case with many materials from other phases of the Google Digitization Project and with many materials included in the HathiTrust.
Q: Who is funding this project?
Google provides for the cost of scanning, transportation, and the digital infrastructure. CDL and SRLF, and collaboration with the University Libraries, are responsible for the cost of retrieving the volumes and returning them to the stacks. The HathiTrust provides long term preservation for the digital materials.
If you have any questions or need additional information please contact John Renaud, Associate University Librarian for Research Resources, at 949-824-5216 or jrenaud@uci.edu