Early Pioneers:
* Michael Hart: In 1971, Hart created Project Gutenberg, a non-profit organization dedicated to digitizing and freely distributing books. This initiative was arguably the first major effort towards large-scale book digitization.
* The Internet Archive: Founded in 1996, the Internet Archive focuses on preserving and digitizing a wide range of cultural artifacts, including books. They have scanned millions of books and made them available online.
Institutions and Projects:
* The Google Books project: Launched in 2004, Google's ambitious project aimed to digitize millions of books from libraries around the world. This sparked debate about copyright and access but significantly boosted the scale of digitization efforts.
* The Open Library project: A project of the Internet Archive, Open Library strives to create a digital library of all books, making them accessible to anyone.
* National libraries and archives: Many national libraries and archives worldwide have undertaken digitization initiatives to preserve their collections and make them accessible online.
Technological Advancements:
* Improved scanning technology: Developments in scanning technology, particularly in the areas of speed and accuracy, made large-scale book digitization more feasible.
* Cloud computing: The advent of cloud computing facilitated storage and processing power for large digitized datasets.
Therefore, while Michael Hart and Project Gutenberg initiated the concept of large-scale book digitization, it's a complex process with contributions from numerous individuals, organizations, and technological advancements. It continues to evolve with ongoing efforts by institutions like Google and the Internet Archive, driving the accessibility and preservation of books on a massive scale.