From an Information Today, Inc. NewsBreaks story by Greg Notess published December 11:

A little over a year ago, Microsoft announced that it was joining the Open Content Alliance (OCA) to create a database of full-text books. Planning to launch a beta version of its books database sometime in 2006, Microsoft has now met its goal with the launch of Live Search Books (beta) at http://books.live.com. All of the books available on Live Search Books are out-of-copyright titles, thus avoiding the copyright controversy at Google Books. The initial load at Live features titles from several libraries' collections, including the University of California, the University of Toronto, and The British Library. Microsoft also announced the addition of The New York Public Library and the American Museum of Veterinary Medicine as future contributors.

Read more--including sections on The Collection, The Search Interface, The Book Reader, and The Competition--by cross-linking to Greg's story, Microsoft Launches Live Search Books, at Information Today, Inc.'s NewsBreaks.