Perhaps this is old hat to all of you frequent posters, but I quickly scanned the posts and saw nary a mention of this. Anyhow, I read today that based on feedback from the ALA conference last summer, Google has begun a newsletter aimed towards Librarians. The first issue was released in December of last year. You can sign up via email at the Google Librarian Center. Are any of you on the Google Librarians mailing list already? Did I just miss the boat on this and you all of have discussed this already? Apologies in advance if so.
Also, did you know that the 2005 International Edublog Awards have a category for Best Library/Librarian Blogs? I think you may recognize one of the winners from our beloved alma mater. One of the other honorees is a system colleague of mine, twice removed.
7 Comments for Google Newsletter for Librarians
Dave | February 20, 2006 at 10:17 pm
Steve | February 21, 2006 at 10:14 am
I had seen this a couple of months ago when it made the rounds of a couple of other blogs. I have the same reservations and flowerpower as Dave…
Author comment by Dave | February 21, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Now, do we have to choose a victim to sign up for this newsletter so that we know what it’s all about?
I volunteer Barry.
nichole | February 21, 2006 at 2:15 pm
Hi all – I hope I’m no interloper here. Nice place!
The Google newsletters are also posted here: http://www.google.com/services/librarian_newsletter.html So far it’s been Karen “LII” Schneider and Matt Cutts, a Google engineer, in the center ring.
Author comment by Steve | February 21, 2006 at 3:37 pm
I second the nomination of Barry. Can we get a quorum (wooh, wooh)?
Author comment by Barry | February 21, 2006 at 4:10 pm
Hi guys, sorry I haven’t posted for a while. Anyone volunteer me for anything while I’ve been dormant?
Author comment by Dave | February 22, 2006 at 2:42 pm
Yes Barry, we cleaned your room and decided to use it as a yoga cave.
We volunteered you as a sacrifice to Google… but apparently that isn’t needed anymore.
Thanks to Nichole (Ritchie?) for pointing out Google’s online newsletter. My brief look at that resource makes gives me the feeling like the information they provide is too basic.
The Schneider piece is basically Introduction to the Internet 101, something we’d tell freshmen or high-schoolers in a BI session; the Cutts piece about how Google determine’s which sites are trustworthy doesn’t say too much.
In short, it smacks of a ten-minute project.
Other thoughts?
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No Ginger, I hadn’t seen this. I wonder what the content of their newsletters is? Is it all about Google products, or is there more at play?
The cynic in me would look at this as an attempt by Google at a kind of infomercial – an extended commercial to convince librarians of Google’s predominance over information.
The flowerpower beanmachine in me would look at this as a helpful hand to librarians, who are always struggling with keep abreast of information information (yes, the doubling was intended).
[My own experience with Caveat Lector, my own caveat auditor, was that I never followed a word she said about mark-up languages!]