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Google partners with Bloomsbury Public Library Online

13.12.11 | Charlotte Williams

Google is partnering with Bloomsbury's Public Library Online, sponsoring two of the digital library's virtual bookshelves from January 2012 to February 2013.

The shelves, chosen by Bloomsbury, will be one featuring The Arden Shakespeare series, with 10 plays that are on the GCSE national curriculum, and one titled Our Environment, with 10 books on green issues including The Hot Topic by Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King.

Google copyright policy and communications management Simon Morrison said: "We have been talking to Bloomsbury for a little while. We're sponsoring the two shelves because we share interests with the PLO; it's useful to libraries who may have funding and space issues that prevent them from stocking more books, and it is adding another way of accessing content for users. We are interested in it because we think it is a great project, and increases access online."

Director of Public Library Online Stephanie Duncan said: "We are delighted that Google has enabled every UK public library to offer these digital bookshelves to complement their existing resources."

Google may decide to extend its sponsorship, though it is currently arranged for just one year.

Public Library Online currently makes available digital content through a subscription service for libraries from publishers including Allen & Unwin, Canongate, Faber, Macmillan Education, Mercier Press, Oneworld Classics and Quercus.

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