Thing 14 substitution--Google Books

After not getting anywhere for too long with the links on Technorati, I started looking for a substitute thing to do for thing 14.  Although I originally went looking for Google Labs, which was listed on the 43 things list, I stumbled upon Google Books, which looks really exciting, and especially relevant for libraries.   Here is a link explaining a lot of it in more detail than I can here http://books.google.com/googlebooks/agreement/.  In essence, out-of-print, out-of-copyright books are searchable and sometimes readable in full on Google books, an invaluable resource for people whose interests go beyond the current bestseller lists.  Also, with library funding dwindling, which is making it more and more difficult to replace damaged, worn copies of older books, this could prove to be very, very useful.  It sounds like they are expanding access to other sorts of books too, which, if handled properly with respect for intellectual property rights, would certainly be a boon to libraries.  For high school students, who are very comfortable with reading online, this could be great when they need to read a classic at the last minute and all the library's copies are checked out.  Another use for works they have access to, such as Shakespeare's, is to search for a line of part of a line that you remember but can't remember which play, or part of the play it's from.  They also have access to back issues of all kinds of magazines, which makes physical preservation of these fragile media something libraries will have to sweat out less.  In addition, you can use "my library" on Google Books to build a list of books you've read and/or liked, post reviews, etc.  I don't have time at the moment to delve more deeply into Google Books, but I'd say it's a promising resource for libraries, librarians, and book-lovers of all stripes.