Selection

To begin, librarians select works in their collections and oversee
their digitization. Based on the economics of digitization, they
can bring works online subject by subject, or by physical location.

The Open Library is built by librarians to create comprehensive
collections with finding aids. Since the Open Library isn't limited
to a single library's or librarian's selections, it represents many
points of view. We can join multiple collections to create new
virtual collections that never existed in physical form.

For example, an early Open Library collection is a cooperative
collection of American literature developed from the holdings
of the University of California Libraries and beyond.

Ultimately, we would like the Open Library to include all books.
But for the moment, a selective, collections-oriented approach
will help us build a bibliographically coherent collection of
immediate use to educators, researchers, and the public.

Digitizing can now be economically done inside the library.
This avoids the uncertainties of shipping books and permits
librarians to provide active feedback on how the digitization
process should proceed. The skills of selection, prioritization,
handling, cataloging, and quality control are all part of the
training and passions of our librarians.

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