Google Book Search
On Wednesday Google announced their latest undertaking, Google Book Search.
Google Book Search allows you to view full copies of any book in the public domain (out-of-copyright books).
They do not atest to how many books they have scanned, only citing "many" books, but at first glance, it appears to be quite extensive.
You may think that some of the charm is lost, but the scans are pretty good so that you even get some of the wonderful typography.
I'm still not entirely sure that I want to sit down and read an entire book on my computer screen, but I think if I was looking for a certain passage or information on something specific, I may be apt to look here. Terms that you search for will be highlighted, like the term "fairy" above, within the pages so that they are easy to find.
Regardless, I think it is a wonderful way to preserve some of our history, and make information more readily available.