Random House has introduced a search tool on its Web site that will make available a small portion of text from 5,000 of its new and backlist titles, the company announced yesterday. As much as 10 percent of each book, typically a front cover, introduction and first chapter, will be accessible on the Random House Web site (randomhouse.com) by clicking on the individual book and entering keywords. Several thousand more titles will be added to the database this spring, and the company hopes to eventually allow searching across all books, rather than just within an individual title. Publishers have been scrambling to compete with Google Book Search and Amazon, which both offer free digitized book content. HarperCollins introduced a similar browsing tool on its Web site (harpercollins.com) last week.
Random House Introduces New Search Tool By JULIE BOSMAN
New York Times, February 28, 2007