Getting started with the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Thursday, October 12, 2006 at 7:30 PM

Posted by Ben Bunnell, Library Partnership Team

Today, we announced a new partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to make a significant portion of their library collection searchable through Google Book Search. As a library partner manager, I'm always excited to work with new partners, and the collections of the UW-Madison libraries and Wisconsin Historical Society Library are welcome additions to the works offered by other Google Book Search partners.

Signing an agreement with a new library is just the beginning -- then it's time to get started making the vision real. Because we are doing non-destructive digitization at high volumes, we work closely with each library partner's staff to digitize their books in a way that is minimally disruptive to patrons. This means working with shelving staff, preservationists, collection specialists -- all the people who make a library function -- to understand the best way to get started. The most rewarding part of my job is getting to know these people and working together to meet the challenges of taking physical books and making them searchable by the world.