Today's news

Google offers access to world's great libraries
Google, the leading service for finding information on the internet, yesterday set out ambitious plans to become a catalogue and digital library for world literature. It has struck a deal with four leading university libraries and the New York Public Library to scan digitally tens of millions of books from their collections so that users worldwide could search through them using the Google service.
Financial Times , Daily Telegraph , Guardian , Times

UK science on the up
Science minister David Sainsbury says in a letter that people shouldn't be surprised that Cambridge and Oxford top the list for science in The Times Higher 's world university rankings because British science is in better shape than it has been for a long time.
Times

Students hit by mumps outbreak
An outbreak of potentially fatal mumps has hit King's College, London.
Evening Standard

Eden Project architect to head the RA
The distinguished architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, 65, who designed the award-winning Eden Project in Cornwall, was elected President of the Royal Academy of Arts last night. He was chosen by the 70 Academicians - including David Hockney and Peter Blake - who govern the 265-year-old institution.
Times

A victory for green power
Reading University has switched to renewable energy and is now using 100 per cent green electricity. Every light bulb photocopier and computer on campus is being powered by clean energy.
Daily Telegraph

Notts college reaches South Pole
A team of lecturers and students from Nottinghamshire has reached the South Pole following a nine-day expedition. Team member Robert Dunn, an 18-year-old student, is believed to be the youngest person to walk the last degree to the South Pole. West Notts College in Mansfield says it is the first educational institution to send a team to the Antarctic as part of a college course.
BBC