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Map Builder is a Web 2.0 tool that allows organizations to create mashups using Google and Yahoo maps without any programming know-how. Many small businesses are using it to provide direction assistance for their customers while others have created tourist guides that identity available accommodation within a city.

A mashup is essentially a way for you to combine data from different sources to create new Web applications. A rock band, for instance, may combine information about its tours around the country with geospatial information on a Google map. Such a mashup may allow fans to get an idea of the location of past and remaining legs of the band's tour, together with ticketing and seating information within a single mashup. Other popular mashup tools include Yahoo Pipes, IBM's QEDwiki and Dapper.

But to qualify as a Web 2.0 app, there has to be some kind of collaboration/sharing involved. Map Builder lets you invite people to contribute to your map. A foodie community, for instance, can band together to create a mashup of the best places to eat and present that information on a map, which can also be shared with the larger community. All maps are hosted by Map Builder, and users can subscribe to RSS feeds for map updates. The site makes money by creating customized maps for organizations.

One of the first things that struck me about Map Builder was how easy it is to create a map-based mashup. Traditionally, you'd need to look up API documentation to create something like this. They've done most of the heavy-lifting for you and all you need to do is to provide location information. If you have a CSV file with geocode locations, you can simply import that data into Map Builder.

This tool has a lot of potential in library applications. A library system may create a mashup with all its branch locations and opening hours for its users. If they are more ambitious, they could combine circulation data and census information to identify areas in the library system where service is lacking. These areas, visualized on a map, can also serve as potential areas for a bookmobile service.