GPO and Google Team Up to Sell Books

The Government Printing Office and Google are now selling books together. GPO has teamed up with the Web giant to offer federal government titles in an e-book format for the first time.

The nearly 100 titles available now on Google's recently launched eBookstore include: the appendix for the Budget of the United States, Fiscal Year 2011; Remembering the Space Age; and Borden's Dream, a history of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, according to a GPO news release.

Google scanned and converted all the books for free, so the sale "didn't cost GPO or the taxpayers any money," said Davita Vance-Cooks, GPO's publication and information sales managing director, in a prepared statement.

It's also a good deal for readers. As reported by The Washington Post, a print copy of the 2011 budget is $77, while an e-book is $9.99. A PDF version, however, is free.

GPO will continue to add new titles, including the 2012 budget and the first volume of President Obama's public papers.

Google's eBooks is compatible with Android phones, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Web browsers and many other eReaders, including the Nook and Sony. One notable exception is Amazon's Kindle.