Explore Tolkien's Middle Earth with Google Maps

More than a few of us, I'm sure, have used Google Maps to look around our old neighborhoods, college towns, and of course, current locales. Many have also used Google Maps to virtually walk around prospective places to travel or live. But how many have used this popular Google feature to explore the map of Middle Earth?
 

A map of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth.
Image via io9.com

In advance of the December 13 theatrical release of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second in the trilogy of film adaptions of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Google and Warner Bros. Pictures have collaborated on what is being called a "Chrome Experiment." This experiment allows fans of Tolkien to visit the actual physical locations that comprise Middle Earth, the fantastical setting for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings adventures.

It's basically a guided, interactive tour of Tolkien's Middle Earth, with the current destinations being Rivendell, Trollshaws, and Dol Guldur (more locales will be added later). Out of curiosity, I opened Google Chrome, went to Google Maps, and alternatively typed in "Rivendell," "Trollshaws," and "Dol Guldur," just to see what would happen. Well, it turns out that you can't explore Middle Earth in that way. You actually have to go to a particular link in order to do so. It's http://middle-earth.thehobbit.com. Going to this link will take you to the following screen:
 

Image via Technorati.com

Clicking on "Begin" will take you to a screen showing an aerial view of a map, from which you can choose to explore "The Wild Upland Woods: Trollshaw," "The Elven Enclave: Rivendell," or "The Once Great Fortress: Dol Guldur." Venturing further into each you will find that you need to use a compass point in order to navigate the terrain, just like you do in Google Maps. I found the graphics within each realm to not be as cool as those on the realm's cover page. Maybe they're still working on that. Still, being able to explore Middle Earth in this way is such a novel idea that Tolkien fans will be intrigued and perhaps pleased.

"In addition to the interactive map," reported Alexandra Cheney of the Wall Street Journal, "there's a 3-D explorable rend of each place designed to work on Chrome and Android. The project marks the first time Chrome Experiments have brought 3-D to a mobile device."

To get an idea of what it is like to take a "Journey through Middle-earth, a Chrome Experiment," check out the brief YouTube video below:
 

Book-Centric Google Doodles Are the Best

Who doesn't love a good Google Doodle? The typically playful alteration of the company logo on Google's homepage is always a welcome attention-grabber. 

An already good Google Doodle is even better when it's book-related. Whether it's recognizing the birthday of a celebrated writer or commemorating the anniversary of a classic work of literature, a Google Doodle that is literary in nature never ceases to delight, especially when it's both clever and whimsical. For instance, check out the above doodle celebrating Dr. Suess' 105th birthday.

Another favorite is the one that served as a tribute to Richard Scarry on what would've been his 92nd birthday. As a child, I had many of his books, including the ABC Word Book, Best Mother Goose Ever, Best Word Book Ever, Please and Thank You Book, and Mr. Paint Pig's ABC's. I used to spend hours staring at the densely illustrated, intensely colorful pages filled with anthropomorphic animals dressed in quaint outfits and doing silly things. The Google Doodle marking his birthday perfectly captured the essence of his children's books.

There's also the Google Doodle that honored Maurice Sendak on the occasion of his 85th birthday. It features a frolicking Max, the young boy at the center of his 1963 children's book, Where the Wild Things Are. As if seeing Max in his wolf costume wasn't enough to bring a smile to your face, the doodle was also animated. You can CLICK HERE to enjoy it. (On a related note, if you're in New York City between now and August 17, be sure to check out the exhibit "Maurice Sendak: A Celebration of the Artist and His Work" at the Society of Illustrators.) 

In its article "Best of Literary Google Doodles," BookRiot spotlights the above doodles and several more, including ones lauding Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Beatrix Potter, Will Eisner, and Franz Kafka. To see them all, go to THIS LINK.

Will EMERAC (or Google) Doom the Desk Set?

I saw a wonderful movie from 1957 titled Desk Set, starring Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn.

The movie is about a quipping quartet of reference librarians, headed by Hepburn, who are threatened to be replaced by a massive computer called EMERAC.

Katherine Hepburn (at right) faces down EMERAC in Desk Set (1957).

image source: movie still archives

Watching Desk Set, I couldn't help but be reminded of today's worry that Google and other Internet search engines may render the reference librarian obsolete. I found the following clip to be especially cogent:

However, I'm reminded time and again by my professors that neither computers nor the Internet will eliminate the need for librarians in general and reference librarians in particular. Anyone can search Google, I'm told, but not everyone can search Google effectively. And not everyone is adept at determining the accuracy of the results they get from a Google search. That's where librarians come in, I'm told. We're here to help others in searching better and getting the information they want, whether in the stacks or online. So it looks like EMERAC - I mean, Google - will not doom the desk set after all.