Legal Research

Google Street Views

Anyone out there using Google Street Views in an interesting way in their library?

Google Maps Street View doubled its coverage of the United States Tuesday.
(Credit: Google)

"Street View is continuing its seemingly inexorable spread across Google Maps, with Google announcing that it's doubled the feature's coverage of the United States.

The states that now have some coverage are Maine, West Virginia, North Dakota, and South Dakota, Google said Tuesday. Cities now covered include Memphis, Tenn., Charleston, S.C., and Birmingham, Ala., and Google filled in many gaps between cities as well; Google spotlighted the Devil's Tower in Wyoming on its Lat-Long blog announcement.

Upon seeing the updated Street View coverage maps posted Tuesday on Google's blog, one coworker quipped, "It's like a zombie infection!"

Street View, like the satellite views of Google Maps before it, initially raised hackles that Google's all-seeing electronic eye was wiping eroding privacy, even though taking photos from public streets is legal. But it appears to me the ruckus is dying down. Am I right about that? Chime in with comments if you see things differently.

Google also has expanded internationally this year, with Street View scenery now available in France, Italy, Japan, Australia, Spain, and New Zealand."

I can imagine some cool uses...

1. When you're a first time visitor to a brach it's useful to look at a street view and know what the real front entrance looks like (not the pretty architecture glamour shot from up on the tree!)

2. Have anyone created walking tours for local sites - historical, botanical, genealogical?

3. Has anyone tried any geocaching games using street views and Googoe Maps?

4. Has anyone made a library pride site - our own edifice complex tours!

5. Have you looked at your street views for your libraries and found anything humourous, funny, peculiar?

Any other fun ideas? There are usually some useful API's on the Google Maps blog.

Stephen

Full post as published by Stephen's Lighthouse on December 10, 2008 (boomark / email).