The “Reel” Tom Ryan reports that you can now peruse every issue of Billboard Magazine, from 1942 to 2008, on line over at Google Books.. for free.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Do a WKNR word search at Google Books and you’ll find 628 references across hard covers, paperbacks and magazine articles.

Some of the Billboard references include an interview with Keener program director Frank Maruca, who discussed the station’s policy on playing Christmas music and an article announcing the debut of progressive rock on WKNR-FM.

Google Books is a growing library of facsimile reproductions of documents, books and magazines. Its a lot like digging through the microfilm at the library and is a treasure trove for Keenerfans seeking references to our favorite radio station on the web.