The Complete Guide to Using Google in Libraries. Volume 2: Research, User Applications, and Networking

Google and its services are ubiquitous. Yet, libraries, librarians and their end-users are expected to use Google more efficiently than everyday people and most other organizations. Indicating that “Google has vast resources that are often insufficiently applied by library patrons” (p. 13), this collected volume aims at covering various Google services of interest to library users. It consists of 30 chapters in the form of four parts. Part I, Research (eight chapters), shows how Google and its products (e.g. YouTube, Google Search, Google’s suite of applications, Google+, Google Books, Google Play Music, Google Maps, Google Scholar, Google Translate) play influential role(s) for research and digital literacy instruction. Part II, User Applications (eight chapters), shows the contribution of some of Google’s applications like Google Images, Google Drive and Fusion Tables to visual literacy, information literacy, data mining and real-time services. Part III, Networking (five chapters), emphasises the communicative role of Google, especially in the world of science internationalisation and interdisciplinarity. In this regard, the usefulness of Google tools like Google Forms, Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Hangouts, Google Calendar, YouTube, Google Sites and Google+ in promoting communication and collaboration for scholarly purposes is discussed. Finally, Part IV, Searching (nine chapters), examines some of Google’s search capabilities by which different information needs can be met. Some of Google tools’ searching features including Google Sites, Google Books, Google Drive, Google Finance and so on are also described. Structurally, the work is well-designed. The content of this book balances theory and practice, and it scrutinises Google from four perspectives (research, user applications, networking and searching), and all of this is reinforced with many related references. It reminds us that Google as a platform has been helping us in managing and accelerating the research process, getting answers, doing joint projects, sharing real-life experiences, enhancing digital collections, implementing e-learning and diminishing the knowledge gap since its birth. This collection reflects the multi-layered endeavour of Google. Accordingly, Google has truly understood its great mission – acting like the conductor of symphony orchestras so that all the members work together towards a single goal. From the Library and Information Science viewpoint, the role of Google in such fields as information representation, information retrieval, user education programs and real-time services provision is substantial. In summary, reading this admirable book narrating Google’s boom can benefit librarians, library managers, Web researchers, digital scholars, educators, professors and end-users. Shall we stand on the shoulders of Google?