[WEB4LIB] RE: Hold Everything! Google Scholar *Preferences*

[Ross Singer]

Well, but this takes us back to the root of the problem.  This still 
requires Google to maintain our IP ranges/link resolvers/etc. and for us 
to configure our proxy servers to work with Google Scholar (which still 
doesn't work great) and for our external users to either:

A) find and add their institution from what would be a mind-bogglingly 
long list
B) Go to the library's website to access Google Scholar through the 
proxy, which is completely antithetical to /WHY THEY'RE USING GOOGLE 
SCHOLAR IN THE FIRST PLACE/. 

This was the perfect opportunity to fix this extremely flawed model of 
forcing our users in through our front door to access our resources by 
leveraging the power and hype of Google to explore new ways to gain 
access to our collections.  Instead, we maintain the "status quo".

In the meantime, yes, there may be something needs to be installed to 
make this work (although a "bookmarklet" is hardly a "burden" on the users).

I guess the point is, it seems like an army of librarians freaked out 
when Google unveiled Scholar and persuaded them to make it conform to 
the "way we've always done things".  Even though Google Scholar is /very 
different/ than the way we've always done things.

Besides, do we do this to everything?  Scirus?  FindArticles.com?  How 
much redundancy of work and resources do we have to expend before we 
start coming up with some real, long-term solutions?

It's great that Google was willing to work with libraries on this, I 
just wish they had been able to listen to some more ideas.

-Ross.


Shaffer, Christopher J wrote:

>>Wouldn't it be better if Google simply tried to send back
>>the openURL so that extensions and bookmarklets would 
>>work properly?  
>>    
>>
>
>I can't speak directly to this question, but as a participant in the
>pilot project, I can comment on one thing that hasn't been mentioned on
>Web4Lib so far.  Everyone within the University of Iowa IP range
>automatically gets the UIowa InfoLink in Google Scholar, and off-campus
>access through the proxy server is coming soon.  The big advantage for
>us is that we don't have to teach users to install extensions or
>bookmarklets, or really do anything at all.  From the end-user's point
>of view, it all happens automatically, regardless of which browser or
>system they use.
>
>-----
>Chris Shaffer, M.S., Assistant Director for Public Services
>Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa
>319-335-7221 (voice) 319-353-3752 (fax)
>chris-shaffer at uiowa.edu http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  
>



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