-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Two weeks left....Google Maps/Earth Usage in Academic
Libraries: A Brief Survey
Date:   Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:37:39 -0800
From:   andrew nicholson <[log in to unmask]>
To:     <[log in to unmask]>, <[log in to unmask]>




**My apologies for any duplication**


Dear colleagues,

First off, thank you to all those who have taken the time to complete
our survey into Google Maps/Earth Usage in Academic Libraries.

For those of you who have not had a chance to complete it, I wanted to
let you know that there are still two weeks left. Our survey will close
on Monday, January 31st, 2011.

As there are a relatively small number of librarians and library staff
working with Geo products, your input is extremely important to us. All
of your responses will be kept completely anonymous, and it should take
no more than 15 minutes of your time. (The purpose of the survey is
outlined below).

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q7HWVB9
<https://owa.utoronto.ca/owa/redir.aspx?C=5e44abfb097847e2bc479e5063253c77&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.surveymonkey.com%2fs%2fQ7HWVB9>

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best regards,

Eva Dodsworth
Geospatial Data Services Librarian
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

Andrew Nicholson
GIS/Data Librarian
University of Toronto Mississauga
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>




**Purpose**

We are interested in exploring the use and impact of Google Maps and
Google Earth in the academic library environment. Since their launch in
2005, Google Maps and Google Earth have had an enormous impact on the
way people think, learn and work with geographic information. With easy
access to spatial and cultural information, Google has provided users
with the means to understand their world and their communities of
interest. The customizable map features and dynamic presentation tools
have been used by many library professionals to teach geographic
information, to create and publish customized maps, to share and host
projects, to create KML files, to communicate geographic information
with others and more. We hope this survey will shed light on some
examples of how librarians have incorporated this mapping technology
into their services, using it for promotion, teaching and delivery of
library services.