Request Failures: Google Book Project

This type of request failure is now obsolete.

Columbia's active participation in the Google Book Project began in late 2008.  See links for more information:

Approximately 50,000 titles were selected for scanning.  Almost 40,000 were currently shelved in ReCAP.  ReCAP staff arranged to retrieve and deliver items in batches of 5,000 over the course of 12-14 months. 

The number of candidate barcodes was so large they were submitted directly to ReCAP staff, circumventing the local CUL request mechanisms.  Because the requests were not logged or tracked locally, requests for unavailable material could be placed in CLIO.  Google Project Failures were confirmed by cross checking the barcode in a failure notice against the master list selected for the project.  CUL staff monitored failed request notices and 1) charged items to status patron MDRECAPA001 and 2) alerted patron with standard message:

"Subject: Failed request (Google Project)

The title you recently requested from ReCAP is currently unavailable as part of the Google book scanning project.  I'm very sorry for the inconvenience.  The book is now charged out so you may place a Borrow Direct or ILL request.

Rgds, Zack Lane"

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  • Google Book Project Failure Statistics
    Monthly statistics describe a predicted, declining trend.  As the project advanced it became increasingly less likely that an item used in the project would be requested.
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ReCAP User Inquiry Alias: recap@library.columbia.edu

Supervisor, ReCAP Access Services: Jennifer Loubriel

Phone: (212) 854-3542

E-mail: jll2223@columbia.edu