A Writer and Librarian Tries Google Book Search K.G. Schneider
12-3-05 Slide 2 Research Needs: Salton Sea Have searched Web Have
searched value-added databases Have checked out seven books from
local library and skimmed them as fast as possible All in service
of one long paragraph in a literary essay Im still asking: what is
there to know that I dont know? Slide 3 Idea! Google Book Search!
Slide 4 Why GBS? Possibly locate information in books I have
sitting on my desk Quick research need Tune in to appropriate
scholarly content Possibly locate new books Books I may want to
research Books I may want from a local or remote library Books I
may want to buy Online books in the public domain that yield
interesting facts about the subject I am researching, or point me
to new lines of enquiry, not discoverable through other search
methods Slide 5 Searches 1. Salton Sea 2. Salton Sea odor 3. Salton
Sink Observations: Short list (understood: GBS is in development)
Doesnt retrieve my book list (ditto) Still, interesting titles
(makes the search worthwhile) Slide 6 Found: An Island Called
California Slide 7 But its restricted Slide 8 Im told I can buy it
Slide 9 But theres no word of library holdings Slide 10 Even though
UC, who provided the text, has holdings in WorldCat. Slide 11 Does
that seem right to you?
