March 8, 2002, was the birthday of Michael Hart, the original founder of project Gutenberg, and the date upon which he announced Project Gutenberg hitting its 5,000 mark for free etexts on the net.
Collections like Project Gutenberg and IPL (Internet Public Library) not only ensure that books remain free to everyone, but accessible to everyone. As ebooks are marketed more and more by publishing houses, proprietary software and formats, along with high prices, make free and accessible text less a certainty in the future.
Electronic text is a radical idea, with implications and complications worthy of much thought and research, not only for govenments and corporations, but individuals. One thing remains obvious, however, even to a blind person: Access to knowledge is as radical an idea as it ever was, historically.
Indulge in a radical idea: uncover a book.
NOTE: As of the first week of December 2003 the IPL has announced it is going offline due to having its funding pulled. As I update these pages, a number of the resources which used to be listed have disappeared and others are in danger of disappearing.