Finding Indological full-book PDFs on Google Books

[Timothy Lubin]

I seem to have stirred more rancor than delight by calling attention to
the Google project.  I guess my expectations were much lower than
others'.  I am very happy to have 30 or 40 important Indological
classics (plus back copies of WZKS and JAOS) for easy reference on my
hard drive, even if a few pages are distorted, or even illegible or
missing.  I was likewise happy a decade and a half ago when I began
accumulating Indian reprints of these works (which also had missing,
inverted, and misprinted pages).  It was all easier than tracking down
library copies and photocopying them myself (which also led to
occasional missing or blurred pages, and took up lots of time as well). 
These PDFs are FREE and can be discarded when better copies are
available.  
 
The CESG project mentioned by Richard M. is wonderful, but it is not
Indological.  The IFP is in fact slowly digitizing its extensive
holdings, and a few other institutions may have similar plans.  But for
now...  I did look at the pages Jonathan mentioned, and although several
had distortions along the left edge of the pages, they were quite
legible.  So the point for me is: I can have it at ready access to read
for my own edification, or to make available to students.  For that, I
do not need archival quality images.
 
Of course it would be better if Google got it right the first time.  Do
note that their POLICY is to document photographically the covers, end
papers, and all pages, even blank ones, so the problems that are there
are in the execution.  They have many people working on it, and the
project is still new, so maybe they will get their act together.  
 
TL 
 
Timothy Lubin
Associate Professor, Department of Religion
Director, East Asian Studies Program
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia  USA

lubint at wlu.edu   |   http://home.wlu.edu/~lubint 

Tel : (office) 540.458.8146; (home) 540.463.6833
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