Google docs, maps, books

It was interesting to have a look at some of these Google features.

Google Docs
Thought this could be quite useful either within our own workplace or within the wider SLT environment. I guess security could be a possible problem but if the subject matter was not controversial, e.g. compiling a booklist, then it would be accessible to many more people. While our own immediate workplaces do have drives that all staff can access while they are physically in the building, it does allow for more flexibility if you are away from your home base or (as I am now) working from home.

GoogleMaps
This is quite a fun application and it was interesting to see that our home is on the edge of the satellite picture for our town. Next door melts in to shadow. I also got up another staff member's home and she was interested to see that some trees that had been cut down the previous week were still in the satellite picture. The image was dated April 2008 so it will be interesting to see when it is next updated.

GoogleBooks
I was probably least impressed with this feature of the 3 I looked at. I guess this could be because there are not many (any?) Australian libraries listed, not many full-text versions of books yet. I tried a search on 'literature' and language 'english' but still brought up French, German and Latin texts.
The good thing about it was that if people wished to buy the item then Angus and Robertson and Dymocks came up as suppliers.
In Incite (May 2008 p30) Webb's Web has a paragraph on the Open Content Alliance at www.opencontentalliance.org which is another route that some libraries are taking.