Project Gutenberg: A Study of a Public Internet Database. René Radusky. San José State University

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1 Running head: PROJECT GUTENBERG 1 Project Gutenberg: A Study of a Public Internet Database René Radusky San José State University

2 2 Abstract With the rapidly changing nature of traditional book publishing and the popularity of ebook readers, it is surprising to find few scholarly based, end-user studies of public Internet databases offering free ebooks for downloading. Following is a user study of the public Internet database, Project Gutenberg, a large collection of free ebooks available for download. A history of Project Gutenberg is included. Results of this study have been compared to results garnered from ManyBooks.net, another free ebook platform, as a point of reference only. The user study is positioned both within some academic commentary, and clues to interpretation of what both platforms tell about themselves, through an extensive analysis of their websites. Comparisons are made in the areas of search engine and user friendliness, efficiency and effectiveness, and authority and completeness of information. A discussion of database appropriateness to the user group and preference concludes the study, along with commentary related to the nature of database design for projects perceived of as agents of the public good. Keywords: Project Gutenberg, ManyBooks.net

3 3 Introduction Given that the nature of traditional book publishing is changing at a rapid rate, end-user studies of electronic book, or ebook collections are important for a number of reasons. In theory, an entire body of studies of this nature when approached holistically can further raise and answer questions related to what direction book publishing will take. Will print survive the ebook generation? How is access to content through the Internet changing reading habits and research abilities? Will everyone be able to use ebooks, and if not, what are the ramifications of limited access on society-at-large? Given the fact that ebooks offer libraries the possibility of increasing collections, what do librarians think about the use of this technology, and what it means for patron experience? Who has a financial investment in the proliferation of ebooks, and are there any ramifications for freedom of the press? Following is a user study of the public Internet database, Project Gutenberg, a large collection of free ebooks available for download. Results of this study have been compared to results garnered from ManyBooks.net, another free ebook platform, as a point of reference only. The user study is positioned both within some academic commentary, and clues to interpretation of what both platforms tell about themselves, through an extensive analysis of their websites. A study of the Springer ebook collection (van der Veide, Wouter, Ernst & Olaf, 2009) provides a recent, working definition of an ebook: In principle an ebook is quite similar to a print book: only the medium is different. For a traditional print book the medium is paper. Because an ebook is the digital representation of the printed material (print book), the medium can vary from a (laptop) computer to digital ebook reader, PDA, mobile phone or even (through a desktop printer) traditional paper. Usually the content is available in PDF or HTML format, but also plain text or XML formats. This makes the content much more versatile, and flexible than the traditional print book (pg. 570).

4 4 And indeed, both Project Gutenberg and ManyBooks.net provide these formats and others, for downloading to computers, digital ebook readers and other mobile devices. Context The unfolding story of Project Gutenberg is a place in time where the history of books, and the proliferation of the Internet merge. Project Gutenberg started in 1971, with founder Michael Hart and the goal of making available for free, and electronically, literary works belonging to the pubic domain (Lebert, 2008). It is a fascinating story, with a nod to American history. In the early 1970 s when Michael Hart was a graduate student at the University of Illinois, he was given $100,000,000 of computer time at the university s Materials Research Lab. On July 4, 1971 Independence Day he keyed the Declaration of Independence into the mainframe he was using. Accounting for the fact that the Internet was in its infancy and the World Wide Web non-existent, he made it known to 100 users that this document was available. Project Gutenberg was born when six users downloaded this version of the Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, The next year he typed in the United States Bill of Rights, and in 1973 the full text of the United States Constitution. From there he decided to use the time available to him on the university s mainframe to search for and digitize books in the pubic domain with the mission to put at everyone s disposal, in electronic versions, as many literary works of the public domain as possible for free (Lebert, pg. 3). Project Gutenberg s 10 th book, The King James Bible was completed in To this day, Project Gutenberg relies heavily on volunteers to perform all the duties related to making a work available in the public domain searchable and downloadable, via its website. The words of one volunteer gives a sense of dedication, and what Project Gutenberg

5 5 envisioned for itself in 1996 in terms of user population, and to some extent demographics (Hearn, 1996). We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The fifty hours is one conservative estimate for how long it takes to get any etext selected, entered proofread, edited, copyright searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 million dollars per hour this year as we release thirtytwo text files per month: or 400 or more Etexts in 1996 for a total of 800. If these reach just 10% of the computerized population, then the total should reach 80 billion Etexts. The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext Files by December 1, 2001 (pg. 2). Project Gutenberg claims to presently have 39,000 free ebooks available for downloading (Project Gutenberg, 2012). The website provides a mechanism for easily accessing recently acquired books and updates its statistics on downloaded books on a daily basis. Description Purpose In juxtaposition to what others say about Project Gutenberg, the project describes itself as the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, or ebooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented ebooks in 1971 and continues to inspire the creation of ebooks and related technologies today with a simple mission to encourage the creation and distribution of ebooks (Project Gutenberg, 2012). Making Connections: User Group and Search Engine Given that Project Gutenberg s presence is purely a web-based one, careful analysis of the website is tantamount to cultural immersion. It is a particularly helpful way to ascertain who Project Gutenberg itself, deems is its user group. This is easily done by taking note of the

6 6 different book categories the website allows for searching, since in a sense, each category represents a portion of the overall, intended user group. A click on book categories yields 22 subcategories, each called a bookshelf. The range of bookshelves is vast, from a Children s Bookshelf to a Library Science Bookshelf to a Religion Bookshelf. Figure 1: List of Subcategories Clicking on the religion bookshelf yields 10 pages of bookshelves. A click on any of these bookshelves, gives a list of books available for free download, this time divided by content area.

7 7 Figure 2: Partial List of Works in the Paganism Bookshelf Beginning a search of Project Gutenberg through the Book Categories portal not only gives an overall picture of what is available for downloading, but leaves the impression that the intended user group is anyone and everyone, who reads. Authority and Intellectual Level Project Gutenberg obviously takes great care to portray itself as an intellectually vigorous endeavor, while at the same time maintaining a grassroots, volunteer-driven organization devoted to intellect, for intellect s sake (Project Gutenberg, 2012). While donations are welcome, no ad space is sold to support the cause, adding to an air of legitimacy. A clear, concise and professional explanation of the term expired copyright is available on the home page, adding to a sense of professionalism. The webpage reader is told that all the ebooks are of high quality, due to the fact that they were previously published by bona fide publishers.

8 8 Information particularly download statistics is updated daily. The website provides numerous links, to help those interested in finding out more about Project Gutenberg. The links are clearly named and represent a wide variety of topics. One link in particular sheds light on Project Gutenberg s philosophy (Project Gutenberg, 2012) playing with the words free and free of charge. The point is to tell readers that Project Gutenberg ebooks are free of charge and free as in freedom. Project Gutenberg provides a community-of-sorts, with the ability to become as involved (or not) as one might care to. All couched within a concerted effort to act as a trustworthy source of intellect and information. Analysis Some but not much, has been written about Project Gutenberg, and most of it is not scholarly work. Given the rapid changes in ebook access, it is important to note when the commentaries were written, and when. Some question whether this public Internet database can really be considered a digital library, given that a library makes acquisitions based user needs, while Project Gutenberg simply gathers whatever is available, based on copyright imperatives (Lainhart, 2010). For others, Project Gutenberg has helped equalize access to intellectual information regardless of economic status, through a simple interface and quick downloading process (Staube, 2003). Yet others warn of the need to question the authenticity of the digital contents of these works and whether economic interests might keep some users from utilizing ebook platforms fully (Gongqun, 2008). These comments and questions provide for an excellent platform from which to continue analyzing Project Gutenberg, through its website.

9 9 In reality, Project Gutenberg makes no pretense to be a library, but also does not argue it is not one despite being hosted by ibiblio, which advertises itself as the public s library and digital archive (ibiblio, 2012). From a technological perspective, Project Gutenberg provides for a number of available downloadable formats all free. While it is indeed necessary to have the economic means available for access to a computer in order to read digital content, it is not necessary to own an e-reader to do so. Readability is available through HTML format and an EPUB format, both accessible via computer with the latter also transferable to certain e-readers. It is with the question of authority of digital content, that Project Gutenberg takes great pains to try to convince users of authenticity. In its effort to create community, the primary manner in which Project Gutenberg offers opportunity for service is through a call for proofreaders (Distributed Proofreaders, 2012). The process is professionally presently, within the context of a volunteer organization in desperate need of hands. Pages of books are proofread through an Internet interface, by two different people. A third person assembles pages into an ebook, and a fourth person reads the book again for what is referred to as smooth reading within the context of usability (Distributed Proofreaders, 2012). The message is clear: do what you can, give what you can, but our system is vast enough to catch the errors. In fact, there is a manner to report errors downloaders may find (Gutenberg Project, 2012). Readers are told that errata/bug/typo reports are welcome. Comparison During a user test, Project Gutenberg was compared with ManyBooks.net, in less detail and as a point of reference only. ManyBooks.net is a far less transparent website (ManyBooks.net, 2012). Aside from the ability to download free ebooks in the same popular formats as Project Gutenberg, and the fact that ManyBooks.net also relies on volunteers, the two

10 10 endeavors portray few similarities. While ManyBooks.net does claim to be a service to the Internet community at large there is little effort to portray a sense of authenticity or accountability. Statistics are outdated, and the use of computer-related jargon does not serve to engender a sense of competency. The homepage is overrun by advertisements, and there is a push to register on the website. Figure 3: ManyBooks.net Registration Procedure In one manner the website is very transparent, making it clear that their primary source for etexts is the November, 2003 Project Gutenberg DVD, which contains the entire Project Gutenberg archives except for the Human Genome Project and audio ebooks, due to size

11 11 limitations, and the Project Gutenberg of Australia ebooks, due to copyright (Manybooks.net, 2012). User Test A user test was created and used on both Project Gutenberg and ManyBooks.net. The test user group was comprised of three middle-aged parents with graduate-level training, all of whom use public and custom designed databases to some extent, in the workplace: a private school administrator, a social science researcher and a political lobbyist. None of the test users had any experiences searching for free ebooks on public Internet databases, although all three expressed an interest in teaching their elementary school-aged children how to use these resources. Instructions for the user test can be found in Appendix A. Evaluation From A User Perspective Following is a qualitative evaluation, from a user perspective. Further results can be found in Appendix B. Search Engine and User Friendliness In both the cases of Project Gutenberg and ManyBooks.net, users started their first searches using the default search function and became frustrated with both the number and quality of the results. In both cases, searching Mark Twain through the default search function yielded not only works by the author, but works about the author as well. A second glance offered two of the test users an opportunity to refine their searches through what one called advanced search options (H. Barber, personal communications, April 29, 2012), but not until the second search on the first database tested.

12 12 The third test user did not notice advanced search options until the exercise was over, and then was particularly harsh on both the search engines. In the case of Project Gutenberg she was concerned that what amounted to an advanced search option via: 1) searching the catalog; 2) browsing the catalog; and 3) book categories, was neither marked as such, nor had any visible instruction either through a pull-down menu or hover-over feature (personal communications, L. Sánchez, April 29, 2012). She was also concerned about the lack of definitions for words, citing the fact that even though she knew she was searching for ebooks, she was unsure of what exactly book categories might mean. She attributed these problematics as the reason why she never attempted advanced searches.

13 13 Figure 4: Gutenberg Project Search Interface In the case of ManyBooks.net, she was concerned that the small print on the advanced search feature caused her to miss the option, and that the fact that it was in the same column as other options left her wondering exactly what would be the best way to proceed with an advanced search (personal communications, L. Sánchez, April 29, 2012).

14 14 Figure 5: ManyBooks.net Search Interface Efficiency and Effectiveness Overwhelmingly, the three test users were frustrated with the lack of rhyme or reason (personal communications, F. Cohen, May 1, 2012) related to being able to ascertain a hard number of results, for individual queries. In the case of Project Gutenberg, query results via the default search mechanism brings up 25 results per page, but with no ability to go to a last page and see a complete number. On the other hand, searching via bookshelf clearly states the

15 15 number of subcategories per category, and pages per category. One test user stated, They seem to have the technological ability to get me a number. A number at the end of a page is the best way to know if I have to narrow my search (personal communications, F. Cohen, May 1, 2012). The two test users who made their way to learning how to use the advanced search feature on ManyBooks.net both noticed a similar flaw only an advanced search provided for number of records found. Figure 6: ManyBooks.net Advanced Search Feature All three test users were sympathetic to the manner in which Project Gutenberg sorted results by popularity, with popularity defined as the number of downloads, per work. They all agreed that it made sense, given the business Project Gutenberg is in. One test user was pleased with the other choices given for sorting results, namely by alphabet and release date, but agreed popularity was a good choice for an author search (personal communications, H. Barber, April 12, 2012). One was critical of equating the term popularity with number of downloads, stating, I m not sure everyone would make the connection. They might think popularity has to do with something else (personal communications, L. Sánchez, April 29, 2012). A third user

16 16 immediately noticed that multiple titles of the same work were listed, and thought a sorting mechanism needed to account for this fact, in some manner (personal communications, F. Cohen, May 1, 2012). As much as test users were in agreement that for Project Gutenberg sorting by their definition of popularity made sense, they were equally critical of ManyBooks.net only allowing for sorting alphabetically at least through the default search mechanism. Given that a default search brings up books written in any number of languages, one test user said they should follow the Google example of asking if the searcher would prefer only results in English, once the initial search is completed (personal communications, H. Barber, April 30, 2012). Authority and Completeness of Information Questions of authority came up explicitly during the discussion of which free ebook platform test users would be more likely to further explore. One test user clearly felt Project Gutenberg a more authoritative source because it had a classy name and contained no advertisements. She also felt that the grassroots nature of the website actually gave it a sense of legitimacy, to the extent that it made her feel that those involved with the organization really cared about being in service to others (personal communications, L. Sánchez, April 30, 2012). She and a second test user noted that overall, the number of result for all three queries were so overwhelming, that there was no reason to think the information was not complete (personal communications, H. Barber, April 30, 2012). This second tester also noted that use of book categories added to a sense of completeness, to the extent that it represents a tremendous amount of work on the part of employees and quite possibly volunteers, as well. A third tester noted that to some extent, the notion of completeness was a mute point, since the process of adding books was an on-going endeavor as books moved into the public domain. He also noted that the place

17 17 where both authority and completeness would be most in doubt would be in subject searches, claiming that some might argue with putting an atheist label on the works of sort-of-quaker Thomas Paine and that in general, quoting Wikipedia did not exactly engender a sense of authority (personal communications, F. Cohen, May 1, 2012). Figure 7: ManyBooks.net Authenticity Test The issue of ads on ManyBooks.net was significant to the test users. As previously mentioned, one test user felt the overwhelming use of advertisements compromised a sense of authority. A second test user was much harsher on the website, claiming that one of the ads could actually be mistaken for a search engine, if someone was unfamiliar with the product being advertised (personal communications, H. Barber, April 30, 2012). Figure 8: ManyBooks.net Advertisement

18 18 The third test user simply laughed off the ads, calling it a necessary evil (personal communications, F. Cohen, May 1, 2012). Appropriateness to User Group During the post-test conversation, all three test users felt that to some extent, the exercise was appropriate on two levels: 1) learning how to do searches for free ebooks is an important skill for adults and children alike; and, 2) the test was varied enough to account for an author search, a book title search, and what Project Gutenberg would call a book category search and what ManyBooks.net would call a genre search. Three things came up during the search that were interesting, with respect to search terms and appropriateness to the user group. One user noted she would have liked to do the search again, this time using the name Samuel Clemens instead of Mark Twain (personal communications, H. Barber, 2012). A different type of test might have concentrated on authors that go by more than one name. It was surprising to see this same user change the search term from The Bible to The King James Version of the Bible during both queries, and indeed perhaps the title was of too generic a nature. And lastly, it is very important to note the test user who questioned the validity of genre results on Project Gutenberg, wanting to know with what authority these books were to use the words of the website itself shelved. All three users admitted that in the end, they would not be surprised if with more time to explore, their conclusion would be that both platforms were of equal value in terms of searching. Two of the three however, said they would be more apt to explore Project Gutenberg because the website presented itself in a more authoritative manner and did not accept advertisements. The third user was so convinced that more exhaustive exploration would show equal results, that he was hesitant to answer the question, stating, I am sure in the end they are both the same. What I

19 19 really want to know now is how easy it is to download the books (personal communications, F. Cohen, May 1, 2012). Conclusion The comparison user test juxtaposing Project Gutenberg and ManyBooks.net was an interesting exercise in skimming the surface of evaluating an information system. Overall, despite composing a fairly homogeneous user group, it is clear that individuals come to such tests with clear expectations related to things other than search results. Websites themselves are cultural artifacts, representing any number of imperatives in subtle and not so subtle, ways. Test users come to conclusions about the viability of a database based on representation of authority that may have nothing to do with search results. Search results that may be difficult to interpret, suspicious or incomplete may be forgiven, if other overriding factors are present. To the extent that designers of public Internet databases may be perceived of as agents of the public good or even an on-line community providing a product or service at little or no charge with opportunities for involvement it is important for them to remember that how they are viewed as this service provider may be as important as the quality of the product they make available.

20 20 Appendix A User Test Instructions I am doing a study of a public Internet database: Project Gutenberg. Results of this study will be compared to results garnered from ManyBooks.net, as a point of reference. Please use the following guidelines to perform basic searches and respond to my questions. I will take screenshots of your results, as necessary. I have asked you to participate because although you are not familiar with these Internet databases, you have expressed an interest in learning how to use ebook platforms, especially on behalf of your elementary school aged children. You also have some similarities to the two other chosen for the test user group. This exercise should not take more than 20 minutes, per Internet database. 1. Do a search for works written by Mark Twain. Search in any manner you choose. a. What manner did you choose for your search? b. How many results were there? c. How would you describe the resources that came up in your results? d. What is the default setting for sorting results? e. What is your personal preference for sorting results? 2. Do a search for The Bible. Search in any manner you choose. a. What manner did you choose for your search? b. How many results are there? c. What is the first result that came up? d. Can you tell me anything about the way they are sorted? e. How would you describe the resources that came up in your results? 3. Search for all books about religion. Search in any manner you choose. a. What manner did you choose for you search? b. How many results are there? c. How would you describe the way the results are sorted? d. Based on the manner you chose to search, is there a way you might narrow your results? 4. As someone new to ebook searches on public Internet databases, which database would you be most likely to further explore? Is there something particular you liked about either of the databases? Do either of them have glaring flaws?

21 21 User Test Results Appendix B Table 1 Results of Project Gutenberg User Test User #1 (Sánchez, L) User #2 (Barber, H) User #3 (Cohen, F) Mark Twain 1. default search 2. Can t tell. 3. Things by Mark Twain, but not sure it if s only books. 4. alphabetically 5. alphabetically 1. default search 2. Pages of 25, per page. 3. Books by Mark Twain. 4. Alphabetically. No, no, by popularity, I see. 5. For an author search, popularity. 1. default search 2. Can t tell. I would have to scroll pages and count to the end. 3. Works by Mark Twain. 4. By download popularity. 5. Alphabetical and release date options are no better. The Bible 1. default search 2. Can t tell. 3. An audio book. Revelation of Saint John. 4. popularity 5. The search results don t make much sense. 1. default search and book category search for: The King James Bible 2. No way to count. /4 complete bibles but no way to count the added results. 3. Revelation of Saint John/New Etext of Bible d) popularity/ I have no idea. 4. It seems very random / Definitely New and Old Testaments books in the King James version. 1. browse categories and book category search 2. stopped browse category search/ looks like I would need to add up all the books under four different hyperlinks. 3. stopped browse category search/new Etext of Bible 4. stopped browse category search/ By broad categories like languages, commentaries, theologians 5. stopped browse category search/ Bibles and books about The Bible. Religion 1. default search 2. There is still no way to tell. 1. book categories 2. I see there are 10 pages in this category but I 1. book categories 2. This is a problem. Knowing now many

22 22 3. Popularity. But I have no way of knowing why some of these books are about religion. 4. I always start with a default search. The results page should give me a way to narrow down my results. Looks like I need to go back to the home page and explore advanced search options. would have to open up each category and take out my calculator. 3. Some random categories. 4. I like these bookshelves. Each one seems to be organized but differently, but they make sense. results you get is a clue to whether you are doing it correctly. 3. Categories they have designed. 4. This bookshelf design is nice. It really makes me want to explore more. Table 2 Results of ManyBooks.net User Test User #1 (Sánchez, L) User #2 (Barber, H) User #3 (Cohen, F) Mark Twain 1. default search 2. Do you want me to count? 3. Things by Mark Twain, and things written about him. 4. alphabetically 5. Works by Mark Twain should be sortable from this page. 1. author search 2. There is no way to tell. 3. Only works by Mark Twain. 4. alphabetically 5. The only other option is date, which is not helpful. Perhaps by type of work, like short story, essay. 1. author search 2. Can t tell. But it s not a problem. 3. Books by Mark Twain. 4. alphabetically 5. This way is fine. The Bible 1. default search 2. Lots and lots. 3. About the Holy Bible 4. alphabetically 5. Anything that has to do with the Bible. 1. advanced search: The King James Bible 2. I count three. 3. King James Bible, 2 nd Edition 4. alphabetically 5. I am really suspicious I a only getting three results. 1. titles/advanced search 2. stopped titles search/ Finally! 55 records found! 3. stopped titles search/about the Holy Bible 4. stopped title search/alphabetically 5. stopped title

23 23 search/ Books about the Bible, and The Bible in a few different languages. Religion 1. default search 2. Again, just a long list of titles. 3. alphabetically 4. I am realizing how much I always start with a default search. 1. genres Alphabetically, but there seems to be some problems at the beginning. 4. The need to do something like the bookshelves in Project Gutenberg. 1. genres Alphabetically, with some glitches. 4. They now let me sort by Library of Congress categories. I would keep exploring this way.

24 24 References Distributed Proofreaders. (2012). Beginning Proofreaders Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Retrieved from Distributed Proofreaders. (2012). Front Page News & Developments. Retrieved from Gongqun, Z. Analysis of the Project Gutenberg and thought of the future development of E- books. Hearn, L. (1990). Information about Project Gutenberg. ibiblio. (2012). The Public s Library and Digital Archive. Retrieved from Lainhart, B. Project Gutenberg: A review. Lebert, M. (2008). Project Gutenberg ( ) Project Gutenberg. Retrieved from ManyBooks.Net. (2012). About This Site. Retrieved from Project Gutenberg. (20120). About. Retrieved from Project Gutenberg. (2012). Books Posted or Updated Since: Retrieved from Project Gutenberg (2012). Contact Information Electronic Mail. Retrieved from - Electronic_Mail Project Gutenberg. (2012). Free ebooks by Project Gutenberg. Retrieved from

25 25 Project Gutenberg. (2012). No Cost or Freedom? Retrieved from Stroube, B. (2003). Literary freedom: Project Gutenberg. Crossroads, 10(1), 3-3. van der Velde, W., & Ernst, O. (2009). The future of ebooks? Will print disappear? An end-user perspective. Library Hi Tech, 27(4),