Thing for June: Google Maps

For Part I of this month's Thing, I started by searching Google Maps For 1445 K St. 68509. This is the address for the State Capitol. Using the zoom tool, I could see the color of the cars parked around it.

Using the "Get Directions" feature, I got driving directions from our library in Columbus to the capitol building. I looked at both the map and satellite view. For driving directions, I prefer the map view.

I used the street view to walk around Paris near the Eiffel Tower. I walked down the street and saw several buses and entered a construction zone. I spent a few minutes looking at random street in Japan, but decided I'd rather look around Okinawa since my brother is currently stationed there. The area surrounding my best guess at his base does not allow for much satellite zoom. To see if this was the case with other military bases, I searched for Fort Huachuca, Arizona. I was able to zoom right in and use the street view for that area. (I was unable to find the Korean restaurant where we ate dinner one night, though.)

I visited the kangaroos in Australia. They were pretty blurry and there wasn't street view to my right.

Overall, street view is fun, and I can see how it would be helpful to spot landmarks around my destination. It could also be helpful when patrons call looking for a phone number for an address and they insist the address is a particular business. Buildings, signage and even traffic patterns can help when you're hunting down an answer. (That particular business doesn't exist, by the way - at least not at that address.)

Part II -

I searched Google maps for "Columbus Public Library." I flipped through the first six pages of results. Our library wasn't in those results. Most of the results were Ohio. I tried adding "NE", but that returned zero results. Adding 68601 worked. I zoomed in and made sure the marker was in the correct spot. Unfortunately, there was no street view immediately near the library. Based on the number of cars around the buidling, I know that the library was open when the last satellite picture was taken.

The information listed about our library was correct. I wanted to add a second URL, but it only allows for one.

Part III -

I love the street view feature of Google Maps. It hadn't ever occurred to me that I could visit famous places. I've only ever looked around my town. I like the idea of offering coupons, but I don't know how much they'd be used, or if the rest of the staff would go for it. I didn't do some of the extra things mentioned, like embedding a map or claiming the library simply because I don't have a use for those now and I'm not the only staff at this library.