Reading in Cyberspace ?!?

Google has recently unleashed its new project to the world; the Google Book Search. To be described basically, it is the scanning of books and placing its information on the Google website such as scans of pages, paragraphs, and even the whole book. Books that are scanned are usually out of print and not copyright. However, this has raised some conflict between Google and the book's publishers. Google responds to this rise in conflict by negotiating with the publishers and only displaying as much information on certain books that are allowed by the publisher and/or author. As mentioned previously, the amount of information the publishers allow will be in the form of a few cut-outs, paragraphs, publishing information, and short phrases from the books. Although this sounds like alot of work for Google, it provides the Internet easier access to the books they "Google-ize". All of this convenience for users and Google but how will companies such as Yahoo! deal with this level of competition? Although no official announcement has been addressed to the public, those rivaling companies definitely have something sinister in store for Google in the form of projects that rivals that of the Google Book Search. With the interenet's speed at your command, access of information on books can now be accessed through a single click. This unprecedented level of speed and access provides people with an effortless search for their required books. What ever happened to the days where people walk, drive, or bus to the library just to look for books on their project? Those days are now in the past and pales in comparison to today's book searches. All of this sounds too good to be true and almost seems as if there's nothing negative about it. Sorry to have to burst your bubble but the Google Book Search places librarians in a tough predicament. How? Well with the Google Book Search, people no longer need to ask the librarian for certain books of interest and might as well send them packing. My opinion on the matter is divided into two sides; the good and the bad. The positive side to this project is that research has never been made simpler, easier, and more efficient than ever. It provides people the extra time they need to work on the project instead of going over to the library. The negative side is that librarians would soon be placed in a much lower position than they are now. Meaning the job would recieve less interest because of the project. Also, just because its easier to have everything in the palm of your hands doesn't make it right that all of your sources for your projects are in your very room. It undermines the concept of "hard work", a virtue that everyone must be familiar with. We are in an era of change. Humans are beginning to move towards the future, and this is just one of the many changes we shall soon learn to adapt.