Rare Book Monthly

Articles - January - 2011 Issue

Google Opens eBook Store; Alibris an Early Partner

Google now offers millions of books from its electronic-book store.

Google now offers millions of books from its electronic-book store.

Internet search giant Google recently announced the opening of their highly anticipated electronic-book store. Formed in the 1990s to offer internet searching, Google has grown into a widely diversified high tech company, offering a wide breadth of services. In 2003, Google entered the book field by announcing it would begin scanning millions of older books with partner libraries, which would then be made available to the public via their website. Online access is available to millions of older books in full, or more recent (under copyright) books in snippets. However, technology has moved far beyond 2003, and consumers now expect the most recent titles in complete, digital copies, and that they be available on small, portable devices. Amazon led the charge; Google has now answered the call.

 

On December 6, 2010, Google launched their eBook store, offering 3 million titles, including more recent titles for sale, and older, out of copyright books, for free. This may be ground previously trod by Amazon, but Google hopes to make it more convenient for consumers to use. Google's selection is around a million greater than Amazon's, though it is likely most of that million consists of older or less in-demand titles. Where Google mostly tries to compete with Amazon is on issues of convenience, though this gap is rapidly closing.

 

Amazon's strength, and perhaps in some sense its weakness, is its dedicated Kindle eBook reader. When Amazon first launched electronic-book selling, it did so with a dedicated reader and an Amazon store from which those books had to be purchased. It was a closed circle. Exclusivity is a double-edged sword. It can lock the competition out, or lock yourself away from customers using a different reader or bookstore. Google took a different tack in that it offers no electronic reader. You need to buy that from someone else, virtually anyone except Amazon. Kindles still need books sold by Amazon, but Amazon did quickly respond to the other half of the readers' choice issue. Amazon's ebooks no longer have to be read on Kindles; they can be read online or on other devices too.

 

This opening of Kindle books to other readers should help neutralize what would have been a major advantage for Google. When you buy a book from Google, it can be stored both on your reader and in the "cloud." The cloud means you can access your eBooks through the internet. So, if you leave your electronic reader at home, you can use a different, compatible device, or an online computer, and read your books from there. It will even remember in the "cloud" where you left off, so you can pick up at the right page from another device. It's kind of an electronic bookmark. However, Amazon is now making its Kindle software available for other brands of devices, so that Kindle reader/buyers can do the same. Still, books for your Kindle reader need to be purchased from Amazon. Those owning other devices need not purchase all of their books from Google.

 

Google has also expanded its market by opening its library of electronic books to other sellers. Independent booksellers can become Google partners and sell Google electronic books from their own websites. Google has already signed up Alibris, the second largest online seller of used books, to its partnership program. This should both help Google sell more books while enabling traditional booksellers, who could not possibly develop a large library of electronic texts to sell themselves, to enter the eBook market. This could be critical to the survival of smaller book retailers as they try to compete in a world where books are increasingly turning digital. For larger merchants, such as Alibris, it allows them to keep up with Amazon. Alibris' CEO Brian Elliott issued a statement explaining, "This partnership with Google highlights our commitment to providing Alibris buyers with the best book selection available."

 

Rare Book Monthly

  • Koller, Mar. 26: Wit, Frederick de. Atlas. Amsterdam, de Wit, [1680]. CHF 20,000 to 30,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: Merian, Maria Sibylla. Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung, und sonderbare Blumennahrung. Nürnberg, 1679; Frankfurt a. M. und Leipzig, 1683. CHF 20,000 to 30,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: GOETHE, JOHANN WOLFGANG VON. Faust. Ein Fragment. Von Goethe. Ächte Ausgabe. Leipzig, G. J. Göschen, 1790. CHF 7,000 to 10,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: Hieronymus. [Das hochwirdig leben der außerwoelten freünde gotes der heiligen altuaeter]. Augsburg, Johann Schönsperger d. Ä., 9. Juni 1497. CHF 40,000 to 60,000.
    Koller, Mar. 26: BIBLIA GERMANICA - Neunte deutsche Bibel. Nürnberg, A. Koberger, 17. Feb. 1483. CHF 40,000 to 60,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: HORAE B.M.V. - Stundenbuch. Lateinische Handschrift auf Pergament, Kalendarium französisch. Nordfrankreich (Rouen?). CHF 25,000 to 40,000
  • Gonnelli
    Auction 58
    Books, Autographs & Manuscripts
    March 11th-13th 2025
    Gonnelli: Manuscript and illuminated book of hours, mid-15th century.
    Gonnelli: Sumptuous Koran manuscript by Bukhara illuminators in the mid-nineteenth century.
    Gonnelli: Rowling J. K., Harry Potter e la Pietra Filosofale. Firenze: Adriano Salani, 1998.
    Gonnelli: Fontana Lucio, Dix eaux-fortes. Milano: Galerie Schwarz, 1962.
    Gonnelli: Valli Antonio, Il canto de gl'augelli. In Roma, Nicolò Mutij, 1601.
    Gonnelli: Moniglia Giovanni Andrea, Il Mondo Festeggiante. In Firenze: nella Stamperia di S.A.S., 1661.
    Gonnelli: Alighieri Dante, [Divine Comedy with commentary and Life of Dante by Cristoforo Landino]. Danthe alegieri fiorentino. Venezia, Capcasa, 1493.
    Gonnelli: Foresti, Novissime historiarum. Venezia, Rusconi, 1506.
    Gonnelli: Hieronymus (santo), Vita di sancti Padri vulgariter historiada. Venezia, Otino da Pavia, 1501.
    Gonnelli: Ghisi Andrea, Laberinto dato novamente in luce. In Venetia: per Euangelista Deuchino, 1616.
    Gonnelli: Gouvea Antonio (de), Innocentia victrix. [China, Canton], 1671.
    Gonnelli: Napier John, Rabdologiae, seu numerationis per virgulas libri duo. Edinburgi: Andreas Hart, 1617.
    Gonnelli: Ortelius Abraham, Theatrum orbis terrarum. Antverpiae: Aegid. Coppenium Diesth, xx Maii 1570.
  • Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: The Shem Tov Bible, 1312 | A Masterpiece from the Golden Age of Spain. Sold: 6,960,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Ten Commandments Tablet, 300-800 CE | One of humanity's earliest and most enduring moral codes. Sold: 5,040,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: William Blake | Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Sold: 4,320,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: The Declaration of Independence | The Holt printing, the only copy in private hands. Sold: 3,360,000 USD
    Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: Thomas Taylor | The original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Sold: 1,920,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Machiavelli | Il Principe, a previously unrecorded copy of the book where modern political thought began. Sold: 576,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Leonardo da Vinci | Trattato della pittura, ca. 1639, a very fine pre-publication manuscript. Sold: 381,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Henri Matisse | Jazz, Paris 1947, the complete portfolio. Sold: 312,000 EUR

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