Anybody here know your way around Google Books? I need some research help.

Asked by Jeruba (56106

) April 16th, 2022

A Google search led me to a document called American Mercury, first issue of an anthology-type periodical dated January 1924, co-edited by H.L. Mencken and including some of his essays.

I wanted to bookmark this document because it was interesting reading. But I didn’t want to bookmark it targeting my search—just the document itself.

I can’t seem to get at it in its own right. Instead, when I search on it, all I find is copies for sale. I don’t want to buy a copy. I just want to look at it online the same way as I saw it from my search, but without all the highlighted search terms.

Do you know how to access Google Books as a resource and not as a marketed product? Or am I just silly to think there is a way?

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5 Answers

A search of the World Catalog brings up this listing for the American Mercury periodical. Id you use this link to search for holdings near you, it should tell you libraries that will give you access to it online:

https://www.worldcat.org/title/american-mercury/oclc/4726015

janbb (63258

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Thanks, @janbb. I know Google has a project to scan and catalog the world’s books, past, present, and future, creating some major issues with copyright, and I don’t like the idea of Google’s holding the keys to the ultimate world library. But . . .it would still be amazing to be able to look up everything.

Jeruba (56106

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Just FYI, WorldCat has nothing to do with Google Books. There are other digitizing and access tools besides Google, usually available through your library..

janbb (63258

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