U Mich Pres to AAP: Google is Good

by Rachel Deahl, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 2/8/2006

In a lengthy address that was eloquent, if not surprising, University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman pled her case for Google, and its digitization project, in a speech delivered at the AAP's professional and scholarly annual meeting Monday night. Sprinkled with literary and library-friendly anecdotes,Coleman quickly established that she was prompted to speak at the meeting because of AAP's opposition to the Google library project. (The University of Michigan is one of five universities that has signed on to have its library digitized by Google.)

Calling Google's project a "legal, ethical and noble endeavor that will transform our society," Coleman said one of the most pressing issues is that of conservation and restoration. Noting that, as a country, "we are at risk of losing millions and millions of items that constitute our heritage and our culture," Coleman said Google's plans will help meet the very dire and immediate need to both preserve and disseminate scholarly and historical texts. In addressing the concerns likely on the minds of many in the audience, namely how the university plans to deal with the copyrighted material in its library, Coleman said she and her colleagues "know there are limits on access to works covered by copyright" adding that "we will protect all copyrighted materials." She said the university will not "ignore the law" and distribute digital copies of copyrighted works. "Students will not be reading digital copies of Harry Potter in their dorm rooms."