Against the Grain
Volume 20 | Issue 2 Article 5
April 2008 The Google Effect -- Part 1 Beth R. Berhardt University of North Carolina at Greensboro, [email protected]
Nathan Norris Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, [email protected]
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Recommended Citation Berhardt, Beth R. and Norris, Nathan (2008) "The Google Effect -- Part 1," Against the Grain: Vol. 20: Iss. 2, Article 5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/2380-176X.2732
This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. c/o Katina Strauch 209 Richardson Avenue MSC 98, The Citadel Charleston, SC 29409 MLA, BOOK EXPO issue TM
volume 20, number 2 APRIL 2008
ISSN: 1043-2094 “Linking Publishers, Vendors and Librarians” The Google Effect – Part 1 by Beth R. Bernhardt (Electronic Journals / Document Delivery Librarian, Jackson Library, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402; Phone: 336-256-1210)
oogle’s mission is to organize the decided to devote both the April and June print, why world’s information and make it univer- 2008 issues to this topic. In this issue, we buy whole Gsally accessible and useful. Although hear from librarians that use Google products books when students only read sections, and it was founded in 1998, and has been a public to teach students about information literacy, do we need perpetual access. company for less than four years, Google is aid in technical services, evaluate traditional Carol H. Jewell (“Using Google in Tech- now the world’s largest search engine.1 indexing and abstracting services, explore the nical Services: An Unscientific Survey”) Today, Google’s influence in the informa- accessibility of government information and conducted an informal survey of technical tion and media market spaces continues to professional collaboration. services librarians to see how they used grow through acquisition, software creation, Aline Soules (“I Google, You Google, We Google. She shares responses from a large and growing advertising revenues. At this Google...”) discusses how she uses Google in variety of librarians mostly in North America. point, we thought it would be interesting to her information literacy classes to introduce She found that technical services librarians hear what you think about Google, and your topics such as copyright, privacy, the mechanics were using both Google tools as well as the response has been overwhelming! It seems of the Internet, etc. Aline also addresses col- search interface. that there are many “Google Effects,” so we lection development issues such as maintaining continued on page 16
What To Look For In This Issue: If Rumors Were Horses What is a Book?...... 46 The Informed Librarian Online...... 54 And surprising news! After 30 years Services at the University of California at Emerging Trends in Textbooks — at Elsevier, the most fabulous John Tagler Davis. Mary says that this is an amazing Libraries Will Feel the Effect...... 74 has decided to make a career change. He opportunity for her and she is looking has accepted the position as Vice President forward to being part of one of the finest Throwing Kindling on the & Executive Director of the AAP/ public universities in the States. eBook Fire...... 84 Professional and Scholarly Publishing Not to mention how excited she Interviews Division. John will be working out of is to be moving to California. Skip Prichard...... 44 AAP’s New York Office. John’s last Did you realize that Mary has Profiles Encouraged day at Elsevier was April been at Rutgers for 18 years (it Carol Jewell...... 26 15th and he began work at hardly seems possible). Says Julie Arendt...... 28 AAP/PSP on April 21st. Mary: “I’ve worked with Bonnie Klein...... 32 Thank heavens John will wonderful people who have continue to be in touch with challenged me to do things I Ramirose Ilene Attebury...... 34 most of us as he uses his never thought I was capable Julie George...... 38 experience and knowledge of, with every support and Cindy Judd...... 40 of STM publishing in an encouragement. Rutgers Brad Marcum...... 40 industry-wide setting. His will always be with me, and Nicole Montgomery...... 42 personal email address is
many government agencies have found that Thank you for your interest, and we hope The Google Effect — Part 1 their products are not highly ranked in search to see you in June for “The Google Effect from page 1 results. While Google has a U.S. Government – Part 2.” We’ll learn about trends in library search option, it is somewhat hidden, and Web pages, integrating the Google Scholar Julie Arendt (“Imperfect Tools: Google the result list is limited by Google’s search “database,” teaching Google Docs & custom Scholar vs. Traditional Commercial Library algorithm. Bonnie suggests that the problem search engines and collection development Databases”) asks a provocative question - can best be solved through a government in business resources. We will also hear can Google Scholar be used to replace some mandated system-neutral method to unambigu- from two vendors, the first will discuss how subscription resources? According to Julie, ously identify government information and its Google has enhanced their Web presence, we need to accept or reject Google Scholar copyright status. and the other will look at “The 21st Century based on how well it assists in a particular The last article in this issue (“Google Docs: Searcher!” step in information seeking. She concludes A Review”) is a great review of how people that given some situations, Google Scholar can collaborate using Google Docs. Five li- maybe a better tool than some of the traditional brarians: Ramirose Attebury, Julie George, indexing and abstracting resources. Cindy Judd, Brad Marcum, and Nicole Endnotes Bonnie Klein (“Google and the Search Montgomery collaborated with Google Docs 1. Google. Corporate Information: Com- for Federal Government Information”) to write this review. They discuss the features pany Overview. http://www.google.com/ asserts that a great deal of government infor- and limitations of three Google products — corporate/ (accessed April 10, 2008). mation is difficult to find usingGoogle . And, documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
16 Against the Grain / April 2008