The Google Books Library Project was a controversial and ambitious initiative for the scanning of library collections from some of the worlds leading research libraries. The digitized volumes were added to the Google Books database, and during the project’s most intensive phase, spanning the years 2004–2012, more than 20 million books were scanned. In this study I consider the project as representative of a wider historic, socioeconomic and technological shift. This shift is characterized by two intertwined tendencies: the dematerialization of information and the centralization of information infrastructure through large tech companies. The purpose of this study is to gain understanding of this shift via the example of the Library Project. Through the analysis of discourse produced by two of its main actors – Google and University of Michigan – my aim has been to map the underlying assumptions that the project was based upon. I have also tried to uncover power relations embedded within the project and how the library’s mission and core values were constructed in the discourse. Focusing on the initial three years of the project, the material used has been blog posts, an electronic mailing list, press releases, various official documents and articles published in various newspapers and journals. My findings show that the aims of the project were informed by deterministic assumptions regarding technological developments and economic trends. Furthermore, the project was constructed as a way to realize far reaching ideals, expanding the mission of the library.