jan09ff.indd


G a r y  P a t t i l l o  

Gary Pattillo is reference librarian at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, e-mail: pattillo@email. 
unc.edu 

Google fl u trends 
Google Flu Trends uses aggregated Google search data to estimate, and some­
times predict, flu activity. Google.org, the company’s philanthropic unit, tracks 
fl u­related search terms and may be able to detect regional outbreaks of the fl u 
a week to ten days before they are reported by the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, the traditional system for reporting influenza activity. An inter­
active tracking site is available at www.google.org/fl utrends/. 
J. Ginsberg, M. H. Mohebbi, R. S. Patel, L. Brammer, M. S. Smolinski, and L. Brilliant (2008). Detecting infl uenza epidemics 
using search engine query data. Nature. www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature07634.html. Retrieved 
December 10, 2008. 

Text messaging 
The Nielsen Company estimates that 57 percent of all mobile phone subscribers 
ages 13 and older use text messaging on a regular basis. U.S. mobile subscribers 
now send and receive more text messages in a month than they make phone 
calls. In 2008, mobile phone subscribers sent or received an average of 357 
text messages per month, compared with placing 204 phone calls. Among 13 
to 17­year­olds, the average is 1,742 text messages per month. 
The Short Code Marketing Opportunity. December 2008. The Nielsen Company, New York, NY. www.nielsen.com 
/solutions/ShortCodeMarketing.pdf. Retrieved December 10, 2008. 

GreenPrint 
GreenPrint is software that maximizes your printer’s output in order to save 
paper, toner, and energy. The software eliminates waste by allowing you to 
highlight and remove unwanted pages (e.g., banner ads and legal jargon), 
creates PDF files with one click, and keeps a tally of paper, CO2, and trees 
saved. The version for Windows is free. There is a fee for the Mac version and 
upgraded versions. 
GreenPrint: Saving Money Today, Trees Tomorrow. www.printgreener.com. Retrieved December 2, 2008. 

Projections of degrees conferred 
Between 1992 and 2006, the number and proportion of degrees awarded to 
women rose at all levels. In 2006, women earned the majority of associate’s, 
bachelor’s, and master’s degrees; 49 percent of doctoral degrees; and slightly less 
than 50 percent of first­professional degrees. Between 2006 and 2018, continued 
increases are expected in the number of degrees awarded to women at all levels 
Between 2005 and 2018, the number of doctoral degrees is projected to increase 
27 percent overall: 22 percent for men and 32 percent for women. 
W. J. Hussar and T. M. Bailey (2008), Projections of Education Statistics to 2017 (NCES 2008-078). National Center for 
Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C., nces.ed.gov 
/pubs2008/2008078.pdf. Retrieved December 12, 2008. 

C&RL News January 2009  88