When I search the web, I do my best to stay focused on what I am seeking. I'm usually not one to let myself wander off and to get lost along the web's myriad tangled strands. Well, searching for an open source cataloguing system for my school's book room, I stumbled across a site that had nothing at all to do with my search. Nevertheless, it drew me away from my subject at hand, and I'm glad it did. The site is called "Open Library."
Open Library is an archive that contains scanned copies of thousands upon thousands of books, along with links to catalogues such as WorldCat and vendors like Amazon.
I was familiar with Project Gutenberg, which offers free access to thousands of e-books, but I had never before heard of Open Library. Open Library allows traditional borrowing, and it also enables effective searches of numerous subject headings as well as genres, authors, titles, etc. Further, it offers various electronic formats, including standards for readers with print disabilities.
So far, I'm intrigued. I plan to explore Open Library further and see how I might be able incorporate the resource into my school library for the benefit of patrons.
It's true: every once in a while, a web search really can turn up something worth finding, even if unintentionally.
Full link:
https://openlibrary.org/
