Because I search MEDLINE so frequently, I experimented with HubMed. I’m still not convinced it’s a useful tool, but it may have functionality I’m not yet aware of. I’m more inclined to search a database directly so that I can make full use of the tools rather than have my search watered down. In some ways, it reminded me of a meta search engine. You gain something (searching several search engines at once) while forgoing advanced features. I don’t trust the results when I give up some of the control. Although HubMed says you can run searches exactly the same as you can in MEDLINE, you have to know MeSH and syntax in order to do it. I often search for botanical medicine in relation to conditions, and to get the best results, you have to search on the Latin name, common name(s) and the active constituent. I rely on the MeSH database and am not sure whether I can access it from HubMed. My impression is, that it might be useful to first run a search in MEDLINE, and then run it in HubMed to take advantage of some of the features such as tagging articles, etc.
I used Rollyo to create a search engine unrelated to libraries. I love to cook and frequently search my favorite websites for recipes. It was easy to set up my own Rollyo and I did it in minutes. One complaint I have is the sponsored links: they’re both above and below results so they blend is with results. I would prefer to see them more clearly distinguished, perhaps by putting them only above results or on the right-hand side. As much as I like Rollyo, I wouldn’t use it for complicated searches for the same reasons I discussed in using HubMed. For simple searches or ones that don’t require comprehensive searches, I think it’s useful.
As far as the applications of MashUps in libraries, I think Rollyo could be used to create custom search engines for consumers. In addition, I frequently use Google Bookfinder to find books of interest in local libraries.
