Will,
I didn't get a chance to attend code4lib this year, but thought I would
respond via the list. At Paul Smith's College we are using google book
thumbnails for our catalog as well as using the embedded viewers to
allow users to view previews of available books. Here is a sample
search:

http://library.paulsmiths.edu/catalog/search/?q=forest&index=text&sort=&
limit=pubdaterange:"2000-2009"&facetclick=pubdaterange

We will be switching over to VuFind this summer and I will likely use GB
in a similar way with that interface as well. I plan (hopefully this
summer) to build a web service that uses OCLC Web Services, Open
Library, Hathi Trust, and Google Books to search for and return similar
items from those resources to display in our catalog. I really like the
service overall.

Mike Beccaria
Systems Librarian
Head of Digital Initiative
Paul Smith's College
518.327.6376
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-----Original Message-----
From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Will Brockman
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2010 5:02 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [CODE4LIB] Conference followup; open position at Google
Cambridge

As a first-time Code4Lib attendee, let me say thanks for a fun
conference - a very interesting and creative group of people!

A question I posed to some of you in person, and would love to hear
more answers to: What are you doing with Google Books?  Do you have a
new way of using that resource?  Are there things you'd like to do
with it that aren't possible yet?

Also, a couple of people asked if Google is hiring.  Not only are we
hiring large numbers of software engineers, but we're now seeking a
librarian / software developer (below).  I'm happy to take questions
about either.

All the best,
Will
brockman@google


Metadata Analyst

Google Books is looking for a hybrid librarian/software developer to
help us organize all the world's books.  This person would work
closely with software engineers and librarians on a variety of tasks,
ranging from algorithm evaluation to designing and implementing
improvements to Google Books.

Candidates should have:
* An MLS or MLIS degree, ideally with cataloguing experience
* Programming experience in Python, C++, or Java
* Project management experience a plus, but not required

This position is full-time and based in Cambridge, MA.