[Web4lib] Re: [lita-l] Google and Libraries

[Maurice York]

Bill,

Allow me to play something of the devil's advocate here, since this
thread of wondering what happened to Google seems to be popping up all
over the place in the last week. Like you and many others, I've noted
Google's recent lower level of activity with their library
communication channels, going back several months, though it seems
that with ALA over the interest is suddenly heightened. I suppose I am
as curious as anyone else as to the reason behind it, but I wonder why
the Google partners would have an "obligation" to the "rest of us",
and what exactly that obligation would be? To explain the
communication strategy of a company that they have partnered with? Did
anyone demand for DRA or their library partners to explain themselves
when they inexplicably killed TAOS after "suckering" all those
trusting pilot libraries with their promise of a brave new world for
the library ILS? What ever happened to Corinthian? How about any other
number of vendors who were full of promises on some product or another
and all at once decided to call it a day? Microsoft for its part
summarily executed Live Book Search with barely a whimper.

As far as I can see all of the services that Google offers and has
offered to libraries are still up and fully functional, including the
release in the last couple of months of an API into Google Book Search
that could not possibly have been meant for too anyone else but
libraries, and sponsorship of a number of open source projects
directly or indirectly related to libraries under the umbrella of
Google Summer of Code. And for what they have produced for libraries,
Google has never received a cent of library money. So I wonder at the
purpose of demanding anything, much less a formal explanation, from
our good colleagues?

-Maurice



************************************
Maurice York
Interim Head, Information Technology
NCSU Libraries
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695

maurice_york at ncsu.edu
Phone: 919-515-3518


On Tue, Jul 8, 2008 at 11:37 AM, Bill Drew <dreww at tc3.edu> wrote:
> I posted this on my blog this morning as part of a series of postings I am
> writing about Google Librarian Central and its lack of updates since June
> 2007.  You can the find the posts at http://tinyurl.com/6hyj6h .  I have
> written two so far.  I was a strong supporter and a frequent user of Google
> Librarian Central and was actually going to submit an article to the
> newsletter.  I am very disappointed in what has happened or not happened.
>
> I am asking and challenging the Google Book Search Library Partners to ask
> their contacts at Google about the status of Google Librarian Central. It
> appears to be next to impossible to get Google to respond on this topic by
> going through normal channels such as using the Google response forms. I am
> going to compile a list of contacts for the Google Book Search Library
> Partners and send them all and e-mail requesting their assistance in this
> matter. Google and its partner libraries have a clear obligation to the rest
> of us.
> Bill Drew
>
>
> -----------------------------------------
> Wilfred (Bill) Drew, M.S., B.S., A.S.
> Assistant Professor
> Librarian, Systems and Tech Services
> Tompkins Cortland Community College  (TC3) Library:
> http://www.tc3.edu/library/
> Dryden, N.Y. 13053-0139
> E-mail: dreww at tc3.edu
> Phone: 607-844-8222 ext.4406
> AOL Instant Messenger:BillDrew4
> Online Identity: http://claimID.com/billdrew
> StrengthsQuest: Ideation, Input, Learner, Activator, Communication
> http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill_Drew/
>