Google Library

In the meanwhile, however, it's launched the beta – featuring books in the public domain and scanned from works held by such as Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan and the New York public library.

Is Google Print straight from the heart? Nope. Straight from the wallet because there's a "Google twist"

"Sign up for the Google Print publisher program to attract new readers and boost book sales, earn new revenue from Google contextual ads, and interact more closely with your customers through direct 'Buy this Book' links back to your website," it tells publishers who might be thinking of participating.

The catch?

Although readers will be able to see entire books in the public domain, they'll "only be able to see a few sentences" of books still under copyright after all, "Google Print is designed to help you discover books, not read them from start to finish. It's like going to a bookstore and browsing – only with a Google twist."