Google Books: primary sources in the public domain

Purpose - This paper strives to examine and draw attention to important printed primary sources available in Google Books through the company's partnership with a growing number of European libraries. It aims to include a brief annotated bibliography and provide an analysis of a select number of digitized works in Google's vast digital library. Design/methodology/approach - The author researched texts published in the early modern era in Google Books, focusing on works with prominent visual elements. Each digitized book was evaluated for its intellectual contribution and narrative, as well as legibility and overall digital quality. This research was supplanted by an examination of pertinent secondary sources. Findings - Despite controversies over metadata and classification Google Books remains an indispensable research tool and offers unprecedented access to works in the public domain in a variety of languages and fields of study. Originality/value - This article encourages librarians, teachers, researchers, and scholars to further explore invaluable full text, freely accessible digital books in such areas as the Scientific Revolution, and European exploration/contact with indigenous populations throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.