1. A Writer and Librarian Tries Google Book Search K.G. Schneider 12-3-05

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 … I’m still asking: what is there to know that I don’t know?

3. Idea! Google Book Search!

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

5. Searches 1. Salton Sea 2. Salton Sea odor 3. Salton Sink Observations: –Short list (understood: GBS is in development) –Doesn’t retrieve my book list (ditto) –Still, interesting titles (makes the search worthwhile)

6. Found: An Island Called California

7. But it’s restricted…

8. I’m told I can buy it…

9. But there’s no word of library holdings

10. Even though UC, who provided the text, has holdings in WorldCat.

11. Does that seem right to you?