Old tomes go online -- mustiness and all

Scientist uses Internet to preserve look, text of classic literature

January 26, 1998
Web posted at: 1:45 p.m. EST (1845 GMT)

PITTSBURGH (CNN) -- All the ambiance of a library filled with old books -- torn pages, smudged ink and all -- can now be found on the Internet.

A scientist at Carnegie Mellon University is trying to preserve widely read books, particularly antiques, as part of a "Universal Library" that aims to duplicate the hardcover characteristics on the World Wide Web.

"We're basically trying to eternalize that book as it is," said Robert Thibadeau, a research scientist in robotics.

Thibadeau and undergraduate Evan Benoit developed a method of preserving the books without using huge graphics files that would take a long time to download.

Their program first reproduces the blank page, then copies the type onto it in an attempt to mimic the book's appearance.

So far, only two titles -- "The Life of Benjamin Franklin," published in 1835, and "The History of New England," published in 1847, are posted on his Web site -- Universal Library: Antique Books.

Bernadette Callery, museum librarian at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, is working with Thibadeau to get some of the museum's book collection online.

She hopes to create an exhibit on the diplodocus dinosaur next year, the 100th anniversary of its discovery. The exhibit could include newspaper clippings of the era and the original scientific paper announcing its discovery, she said.

"It will allow us to provide access to material that is fragile," Ms. Callery said. "It's really the opportunity to create a new reading experience."

But will people read entire books online?

Even though he's not primarily a writer, Thibadeau has written a 372-page science-fiction novel, "Metafire."

He posted it at another Internet site -- Thibadeau's Metafire -- to see if people are willing to read books online.

So far, about one person a week reads it, he said. Thibadeau can keep track of how far each reader gets each time they log on.

"There was one person from the University of Washington who read the whole thing in one sitting," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• Universal Library: Antique Books
• Thibadeau's Metafire
• Online Books FAQ
• Project Gutenberg Index
• Columbia Digital Library Collections: Online Books Evaluation Project

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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