J-
A few quick thoughts and a bunch of resources.
1) One thing I've wanted and asked for (since the beginning, and long before I
began my job at Ask.com) is a "traditional" catalog of sources and publication
runs of the sources in Google Scholar. At one time Microsoft offered a list of
what was in there academic product but it's no longer available. They do
provide a list of cooperating publishers.
http://help.live.com/help.aspx?project=Academic_Search_Help&market=en-US&querytype=keyword&query=stluser&tmt=&domain=live.com#faq8
I'll leave other comments about GS, GBS, and MS Live Academic to two of the very
best reference reviewers, Jacso and O'Leary.
http://www.infotoday.com/it/nov06/OLeary.shtml
http://www.gale.com/reference/peter/googlebooks.htm
http://tinyurl.com/2xed9u
http://projects.ics.hawaii.edu/~jacso/gale/windows-live-acad/windows-live-acad.htm
3) I think something like Clusty.com would be very powerful in the
library/database arena. For example, with a structured database, PubMed in this
case, notice the many easy way to sort results. Not only by subject but (look a
the top of the clusters) also by author, medical subject heading, and
combinations. The power of excellent metadata!
http://www.clustermed.info
and in a metasearch configurations with other biomed databases:
Science teachers will love this one:
http://vivisimo.com/html/biometacluster
4) At Ask, we do something similar with our Zoom Related Search suggestions.
Specifically, for related names.
In fact, these suggestions can also be used as a tool for students to begin
learning about people related to the person being searched. Why or how is this
person related to the person being searched."
For example, look at the related names list here.
Perfect? No. But useful, I think so.
http://www.ask.com/web?q=nelson+mandela&qsrc=1&o=0&l=dir
5) I would also suggest taking a look at the research about the now defunct,
RedLightGreen from ARL. Most of what it offered is now rolled into Worldcat but
it's not as good as what the ARL team once offered. If nothing else, the work
and responses they got will make for interesting reading.
Btw, I wonder even with its simple interface if Worldcat might be just as
confusing or better said, aggravating, for some. This is a search I've been
testing for months for a classic fiction title, Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory.
1) http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/search?q=charlie+chocolate+factory
the first two results are dupes for the DVD. #5 and #8 are ok. Of course, #8 is
an edition that is held by only 123 OCLC member libraries.
#5 is the most popular edition. OK, now I have to enter my Zip Code.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/176964&tab=holdings?loc=20901#tabs
Well, I live in Montgomery Cty, MD. However, my local public library does not
appear until #12 on the second page. 8 of the first 10 libraries listed on the
first page are not open to the public. When I get to #12, I click the link and
then need to reenter my search in the OPAC. Btw, if I decide to head to the
wonderful Arlington Cty Library at #9, I am told that they do not have the book
(at least that ISBN).
http://tinyurl.com/yrq3hq
However, if you go directly to the OPAC, you see that they've got numerous
editions of the book. Book covers and a bunch of value added data. Problem is,
would a typical patron continue to dig?
Back to the results list, the refinements on the left side can be useful.
http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=where+the+wild+things+are&qt=results_page
However, I was unable (and I was looking) to find any help explaining what these
are and how they could help.
Finally, every book entry page has a direct link to buy the item from Amazon.
I think it would be more useful for both users and librarians to offer pricing
info from several services. Sites like Bookfinder.com, ISBN.nu and many others
make this easy.
Yes, Worldcat.org is a beta. :-)
cheers
gary
p.s. I thought I would toss out a few sources for free (or very low cost)
full-text books and book info online
1) New feature from Amazon's Search Inside the Book
http://www.resourceshelf.com/2007/02/18/amazoncom-adds-more-info-for-search-inside-the-book-titles/
2) Live Book Search from MS
http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=&scope=books
3) ebrary is a well-known fee-based service for full text books and other
digitized content. What is often missed is that they also offer a FREE service.
http://shop.ebrary.com
Over 20,000 full text books with no limit on how much you can view. You pay to
print or copy a page (around 25 cents).
4) The World Book Library
http://worldlibrary.net/
offers several hundred thousand PDF books.
all searchable. The cost is $1 per student or for personal use, $8.95/year.
Includes some Project Gutenberg material.
Btw, for one month, beginning July 4, 2007 the entire database will be free.
5) For full text books online, several more sources.
A) The Online Books Page
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/
Wow! Look how much is added each week.
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/new.html
B) The International Children's Digital Library
All full text, full image, many languages, free.
http://www.icdl.org
C) Various projects from the Open Content Alliance. For example, this recently
released Abraham Lincoln digital library.
http://varuna.grainger.uiuc.edu/oca/lincoln/
D) Other digitization projects like the gorgeous scans, concordances, etc. of
Shakespeare plays from the University of Victoria in British Columbia.
http://ise.uvic.ca/Library/Texts/
E) DigitalBookIndex
Over 130,000 titles listed, 90,000+ free.
http://www.digitalbookindex.com/
Quoting Jacqueline Henry <JHenry@GANANDA.ORG>:
> The first post seems to have come through a bit garbled. Perhaps this will
> be better. If it comes throught the same way - I give up!
>
> *--------
>
> Thanks so much for all your very thoughtful responses! I agree - the problem
> I described of not being able to locate information in our catalog about
> Albrecht absolutely IS a cataloging problem. I have added access points as
> much as possible to my catalog already. For instance, all the people in my
> collective biographies have been added to the marc records. That didn’t help
> with Albrecht who only appears in our art and history books. Lets face it -
> none of us has time to do what REALLY needs to be done to make our catalogs
> as user-friendly as Google. Why can't we get that info automatically with
> our MARC records? Surely the technology is available.
>
> Of course it is possible * and necessary * to teach students to look for more
> general topics, and then use the indexes. As librarians, we do that all the
> time. Still * I think it is time for us to provide our students with a better
> search solution. Is there anyone out there doing that?
>
> Who should I contact? I know nothing about it - who IS in charge of MARC
> records? Is anyone at that level thinking along these lines? Is there some
> way I can get in touch with them?
>
> Here are my ideas:
>
> 1. If Marc records came with both the full table of contents and the full
> index - it would be a giant step forward. We already can search the table
> of contents in some materials - or enter it ourselves. But it is not enough.
> Who of us would have time to enter the entire index of a multi volume
> reference set ourselves into the MARC record? And why should we have to?
> Why - at the very least - can't that come to us when we order MARC records
> for our books?
>
> 2. Why doesn’t the table of contents for our books pop up in a library
> catalog search so our students can look at it - just like Google Books,
> Amazon et al?
>
> 3. And how about full-text search * why not? Google can do it * why can’t
> we? Yes - Google Book Search is a wonderful tool. Yes * it already points
> people in the direction of area libraries that own the book. However, it is
> overwhelming. Again - in an effort to bring us everything - it takes too
> much time to sift through the dross to find the gold. Instead - why can’t we
> use this technology to easily search a SINGLE collection - our own - which
> has been carefully selected to serve our own unique clientele.
>
> It just seems to me that in the age of Google - that library catalogs could
> be a LOT more efficient! If libraries don't figure out a way to make this
> happen - then it will be no wonder if folks prefer a google search!
>
> Thanks again. And by the way - I know nothing about it - who IS in charge of
> MARC records? Is anyone at that level thinking along these lines? Is there
> some way I can get in touch with them?
>
> Jacquie
>
> "The Librarian, whose job is to heal ignorance, to keep life safe for poetry
> and to put knowledge smack dab in the middle of the American way."
>
>
Quoting Jacqueline Henry <JHenry@GANANDA.ORG>:
> The first post seems to have come through a bit garbled. Perhaps this will
> be better. If it comes throught the same way - I give up!
>
> *--------
>
> Thanks so much for all your very thoughtful responses! I agree - the problem
> I described of not being able to locate information in our catalog about
> Albrecht absolutely IS a cataloging problem. I have added access points as
> much as possible to my catalog already. For instance, all the people in my
> collective biographies have been added to the marc records. That didn’t help
> with Albrecht who only appears in our art and history books. Lets face it -
> none of us has time to do what REALLY needs to be done to make our catalogs
> as user-friendly as Google. Why can't we get that info automatically with
> our MARC records? Surely the technology is available.
>
> Of course it is possible * and necessary * to teach students to look for more
> general topics, and then use the indexes. As librarians, we do that all the
> time. Still * I think it is time for us to provide our students with a better
> search solution. Is there anyone out there doing that?
>
> Who should I contact? I know nothing about it - who IS in charge of MARC
> records? Is anyone at that level thinking along these lines? Is there some
> way I can get in touch with them?
>
> Here are my ideas:
>
> 1. If Marc records came with both the full table of contents and the full
> index - it would be a giant step forward. We already can search the table
> of contents in some materials - or enter it ourselves. But it is not enough.
> Who of us would have time to enter the entire index of a multi volume
> reference set ourselves into the MARC record? And why should we have to?
> Why - at the very least - can't that come to us when we order MARC records
> for our books?
>
> 2. Why doesn’t the table of contents for our books pop up in a library
> catalog search so our students can look at it - just like Google Books,
> Amazon et al?
>
> 3. And how about full-text search * why not? Google can do it * why can’t
> we? Yes - Google Book Search is a wonderful tool. Yes * it already points
> people in the direction of area libraries that own the book. However, it is
> overwhelming. Again - in an effort to bring us everything - it takes too
> much time to sift through the dross to find the gold. Instead - why can’t we
> use this technology to easily search a SINGLE collection - our own - which
> has been carefully selected to serve our own unique clientele.
>
> It just seems to me that in the age of Google - that library catalogs could
> be a LOT more efficient! If libraries don't figure out a way to make this
> happen - then it will be no wonder if folks prefer a google search!
>
> Thanks again. And by the way - I know nothing about it - who IS in charge of
> MARC records? Is anyone at that level thinking along these lines? Is there
> some way I can get in touch with them?
>
> Jacquie
>
> "The Librarian, whose job is to heal ignorance, to keep life safe for poetry
> and to put knowledge smack dab in the middle of the American way."
>
> From The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9-20-03
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Jacquie Henry, MLS
> Ruben A. Cirillo High School (GHS)
> Gananda Central School District
> 3195 Wiedrick Road
> P.O. Box 609
> Macedon, NY 14502
> 315-986-3521 x 3144
> jhenry@gananda.org
> Library Page: http://www.gananda.org/library/mshslibrary/indexgcl.htm
> Blog: http://nlcommunities.com/communities/wanderings/default.aspx
>
>
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--
Gary D. Price, MLIS
Librarian
Director of Online Information Resources, Ask.com
Editor, ResourceShelf and DocuTicker
Gary Price Library Research and Internet Consulting
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