Google Books (previously know as Google Book Search and Google Print) is a service that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text and stored in its digital database.

These print materials have been provided either by publishers and authors, through the Google Books Partner Program, or by libraries partnering with Google through the Library Project.  Many magazine publishers have also partnered with Google to digitize their archives.

If the book is out of copyright, or the publisher has given permission, you will be able to see either a preview or the entire text.  Books in the public domain can be downloaded for free as a PDF.

If you can't read it online, you can use the toolbar on the left of the page to find which New Zealand libraries hold a copy of the book, and where you can purchase your own copy, often from the Google Play Store.

A majority of the books are fully readable within the digital database, and you can create your own reading library online. The ability to search for phrases within the books is a real advantage.

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