More Than 100 Colleges Work With Google to Speed Campus Users to Library Resources

Computer users at more than 100 colleges and universities can now take advantage of changes made to the Google Scholar search tool that give more information about and easier access to available resources. Those institutions that are participating in the service have given Google details about which resources they have in their libraries and lists of online databases for which they have subscriptions. Users indicate their campus, and search results will direct them to the most direct means of getting the desired resource. Google said that initially the service will be free of advertisements, as the company works to build a base of "happy users." Steven J. Bell, library director at Philadelphia University, noted that for universities that do not have necessary database tools, the new service is not an option. Bell also commented that although the service will be useful for some users, its limitations, including the resources available in the searches, will be problematic for other users, especially those with a deep understanding of a particular discipline.