Abstract
Google as one of the symbols of digital revolution has been influencing the world of searching from different aspects. Moreover, its place as a tool for information retrieval and research, and as a research topic for end-users and researchers is well known. As a result of Google’s pioneership in providing and changing, or to be precise, optimizing its services, it is being utilized by various individuals and organizations. Undoubtedly, one of the types of organization treated as a hardcore user of Google is libraries. Highlighting that ‘Google has vast resources that are often insufficiently applied by library patrons’ (p. xiii), this collected work, as a remedy for as well as a constructive response to skill divide in search quality, aims to cover a wide variety of Google services of interest to library patrons. With 40 contributors, it includes 30 chapters distributed under four foundational parts.
Part I, Research (8 chapters) examines some issues focusing on Google-aided research. ‘Google as a tool for research and instruction’, ‘YouTube’s role as one of Google’s subsidiaries in enhancing digital collections’, ‘Tips for getting more out of Google search’, ‘The role of Google’s suite of applications in digital literacy instruction’, ‘The utilization of Google products (e.g. Google+, Google Books, Google Play Music, Google Maps, Google Scholar, Google Translate, and YouTube) in conducting music research’, ‘Google Translate uses’, ‘Google as AskA help for getting answers’, and ‘The usefulness of Google Scholar in doing legal research’ are among the main topics discussed in the chapters of the first part. Totally, it can be concluded that Google is really a platform as well as a set of facilities to support and accelerate the research process in the age of digital scholarship.
Part II, User Applications (8 chapters) complements what has been indicated in Part I. In a word, its chapters demonstrate how Google, with its end-user applications, helps both end-users and libraries better and more efficiently meet their individual purposes. In this sense, firstly, the contribution of three applications, namely Google Images, Google Drive, and Fusion Tables (a new application available via Google Drive) to realizing visual literacy, information literacy, and data mining is highlighted. Affected by the globalization and internationalization of scientific spheres, Chapter 12, ‘Google and transcultural competence’ takes an interesting approach to Google’s capability in developing information literacy instruction strategies. Then, some notes concerning how Google can provide special collections, archives, public libraries, library patrons, librarians, and various bodies with real-time services are taken into consideration. Regardless of the applications Google has brought to the age of click, the second part causes us to rethink where we have been, where we are going, and particularly, to what extent we are successfully providing our information services.
Part III, Networking (5 chapters) underscores Google as a synergetic hinge for communicating among people with differing expertise, values, and personal traits no matter the time and location. To show such a connecting character, the applied effectiveness of Google tools like Google Forms, Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Hangouts, Google Calendar, YouTube, Google Sites, and Google+ in enhancing communication and collaboration, doing joint projects, sharing real-life experiences, and e-learning for personal and group objectives is examined. The third part is an evidence of being communicative in the age of communication.
Finally, as a response to and a solution for one of the main global challenges in the third millennium, that is, building a society where everyone can access and share information, enabling individuals and communities to achieve their full potential in promoting their development and improving their quality of life (Aqili and Isfandyari-Moghaddam, 2008), Part IV, Searching (9 chapters) deals mainly with some of Google’s search features and capabilities which in turn help users find, navigate, and manage quality relevant information at the point of their needs. In addition to describing such tools as Google Sites, Google Books, Google Drive, and so on, the role of Google Finance in meeting business/financial information needs is indicated.
In terms of structure, the volume is evaluated as a well-structured and easy-to-understand guide with many related references. Reading this book is like a journey of discovery within the world of information. It demonstrates a part of scientists’ thoughts and investigations concerning the nuts-and-bolts of Google from four perspectives (research, user applications, networking, and searching). This definitive sourcebook reminds us of Napoleon’s motto, that is to say, ‘The sword is beaten by the mind’. It was the mind of scholars, researchers, and web optimizers that turned the chaos of WWW into order, classification, organization, and better harnessing. Google’s dominance as well as versatility is one of the outstanding fruits of the thinking ‘the perfect is the enemy of the good’. As a matter of fact, to become an umbrella product, an umbrella that may protect us against information heavy rain, a meta-tool, a gateway to many useful tools and services, a harbor and one-stop shop or source, the history of Google and its development timetable demonstrates a growing competition and adaptability for an increased share of the information market.
From a Library and Information Science standpoint, the role of Google in information representation, information retrieval, document retrieval, increasing exposure and visibility of libraries, reinforcing users’ experience, and facilitating the implementation of user education programs is considerable. From reading this edited collection, I do implicitly understand that the integration of Google as meta-library, meta-reference, and even meta-librarian into providing information services in libraries and information centers can be regarded as a win-win approach for information sector workers and information seekers. To sum up, reading this book dealing with the Google’s revolution can present readers from librarians, library managers, and web search engines researchers, to Computer and Communication scientists with good opportunities.