Montana State University has Google Apps enterprisewide

Created a variety of apps:

• Search widget: catalog, articles, journals, proxied Google Scholar
• Database widget: Can customize with top 20 popular dbs (and display 5 at a time)
• Feeds widget for library blogs, Twitter, new books, videos
• Flickr widget
• MediaHub: video, audio, etc. Most recently published one shows up
• Google maps widgets: street view tour of campus (very popular)
• WIkipedia map of campus
• Chat reference widget
• Tour widget (video on YouTube)
• Floor maps widget (Flash vector map)
• Archives widget (pictures)
• Photo album widget
• Course specific gadgets

Coding: HTML, Javascript, and CSS

Widgets can be used in web pages with some modification as well

Working on ad for front page of website during redesign

Promoting them: Users can find through Google directory and promotion on website

When gadget is created, submit to a directory: advertising from Google directory and main library website

You can embed iGoogle gadgets in other things without requiring people to have an iGoogle account (as long as it handles javascript, you can put it in LMS, LibGuide, websites, Google  Wave, etc)

You can sign up for a developer account to get a sandbox to play in 

Google Gadget Editor: code.google.com/apis/gadgets/docs/tools.html#GGE

Google Gadget Sandbox: google.com/ig/sandbox/

Don't have to be a coder; can just plug and play as long as you know flash file or feed name; others require HTML/XML, CSS and Javascript skills; they make code available

Markup and tags: <ModulePrefs>-Gadget settings; <UserPref>-User personalization (customized databses);