(the return of ) 2.0 Alphabet

is for Google Labs, a sandbox for all kinds of Google-based Web 2.0 toys. Not all innovations will become permanent features, but here you can find a definitive "Graduates" list of those which have, including Google's suite of online office applications (Docs & Spreadsheets), Google Reader, and Google Maps (an application programming interface that provides the basis for many Web 2.0 goodies).

Google Labs is a website demonstrating new Google projects "that aren't quite ready for prime time". It serves as a testing ground for new services being developed. This is a way for Google to gain feedback on the products before releasing the final versions. Google's services do not always appear on the Labs page; some are beta tested by invitation-only, like Gmail and Google Calendar once were. [Wikipedia]

Take a look at Google SMS - reference help by cell phone!

Web 2.0 Alpbahet:Part 1 (letters A - M) were originally published in Information Today 24.9 (Oct 2007): p.17(2).

2.0 Alphabet

is for Connotea, "free online reference management for all researchers, clinicians and scientists" (e.g., social bookmarking for researchers). Developed for the scientific community, it "knows about" scholarly science journals and Web sites.

"Unlike many of the other well-known tools, Connotea is aimed primarily at scientists (though the user community is rapidly growing throughout academic disciplines), and while users may bookmark any webpage they choose, it incorporates special functionality for certain academic resources. Connotea recognises a number of scientific websites and will automatically collect metadata for the article or page being bookmarked, including author and publication names. It is also possible to add non-recognised webpages, by manually entering information." [from Wikipedia]

Web 2.0 Alpbahet:Part 1 (letters A - M) were originally published in Information Today 24.9 (Oct 2007): p.17(2).

Web 2.0, Libraries & Generation Y...Oh My!

The Pew Internet & American Life Project released a new study on December 30th about the research capabilities of Americans and their use of public libraries. The study - Information Searches That Solve Problems: How People Use the Internet, Libraries, & Government Agencies When They Need Help - show some surprising findings:

• More than half of Americans visited a library in the past year with many of them drawn in by the computers rather than the books.


• Of the 53 percent of U.S. adults who said they visited a library in 2007, the biggest users were young adults aged 18 to 30 in the tech-loving group known as Generation Y.


• The survey showed 62 percent of Generation Y respondents said they visited a public library in the past year...


• Most people use multiple avenues to find information: 64 percent of those who went to the public library were very successful; 63 percent of those who used the Internet were very successful.

The report's findings were against popular stereotypes, especially in relation to Teens & Twenty-somethings. "We were surprised by these findings, particularly in relation to Generation Y," said Lee Rainie, co-author of the study and director of the Pew project.

Take a look at the recent Web 2.0 column in the online tech magazine, TechNewsWorld - "Survey: Techie Gen Y Is Also Library-Savvy." It has some pretty flattering stuff to say about libraries and their adoption of tech solutions.

The report was also covered in Yahoo! News and Assosiated Press.