Google changes the way of searching and answers questions itself

Google is planning a big change for Google Search. Soon the search engine will not only refer to relevant sites, but also answer your questions itself. According to the Wall Street Journal a semantic function will be added to the algorithm that determines which sites are relevant to the user.

If someone is searching for the 10 largest lakes in California, Google itself will give a list with the names of the lakes. Now Google only refers to websites who probably answer the question.

According to the American newspaper this is the biggest change in the way of searching that Google has ever implemented in the history of Google. The new functionality offers Google more possibilities for advertising, as because more users will remain on the Google website if their question is answered there.

Source: Informatie Professional

Read Full Post »

KB publishes Google contract

On July 14 2011 the Dutch Royal Library and Google signed a contract for digitalizing 16.000 books, free from copyright, from the collection of the Royal Library.

In light of a request in the UK to make public the details of a contract between the British Library and Google on the basis of the Freedom of Information Act, the Royal Library has now received two requests to reveal the details of its contract with Google, based on a similar law in the Netherlands.

It unusual for the Library to publish its contracts with partners,  but there are no big objections which could prevent such a publication. The Royal Library has therefore decided to honour the request and publish its contract (pdf) for any interested people.

Source: http://www.informatieprofessional.nl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8796&Itemid=79

Read Full Post »

Google limits Library rights

The Open Rights Group has invoked the British Freedom of Information Act to gain a copy of the contract between Google and the British Library and has published it online. In most cases, the contracts Google makes with libraries concerned with digitalizing collections are not disclosed. The British Library normally publishes all its contracts, but the one with Google was never voluntarily made public.

ORG wanted to know which terms and restrictions were linked to the digitalisation of 250.000 books from the library by Google. As it turns out, Google has more rights to use the scanned documents than the British Library itself. The Library can show the books on its website, but it can not use them commercially. Even more, it has to make sure the texts are not downloaded and forwarded in any way. Google can exploit them.

The books are in the public domain, on which there are no longer any copyrights.

Source: http://www.informatieprofessional.nl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8761&Itemid=79

Read Full Post »