This
month I look at books to help librarians in
the technical aspects of their jobs. Read these
books to learn about the principles of computer-based
training, develop Web pages using database
technology, demystify and apply P3P technology,
and go forth and conquer with enhanced systems
librarian skills.
 
The Enduring Library:
Technology, Tradition, and the Quest for Balance
by Michael Gorman
ISBN: 0-8389-0846-2
Published: 2003
Pages: 176 pp.; softcover
Price: $35
Available from: ALA
Editions, American Library Association
50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611
312/280-2427; www.alastore.ala.org
There's a lot of common sense in this brief
book. The point is to help dispel many of
the myths and hype surrounding technological
advances and their impact on the libraries
of today and tomorrow. The author, who is
dean of Library Services at California State
University, Fresno, steps back in time to
help us view the modern library through its
historical evolution, to better put the changes
we are experiencing in a broader perspective.
Balance is a key idea throughout the book.
The author clearly resents and refutes the
idea of a completely digitized world and
rightly bemoans the loss of place of the
book and other non-electronic materials.
He seeks a sense of balance between the different
media, with the focus on providing access
to enduring content in whatever form.
The first few chapters of the book describe
how the role of librarians has not really
changed over the centuries—to select,
evaluate, organize, and disseminate content
in whatever format meets the needs of the
users. However, the hype surrounding the
Internet has caused some to focus solely
on the emerging electronic media, while disregarding
the value of traditional media. Gorman proposes
taking a step back and re-examining the role
of libraries and how the traditional skills
still apply in dealing with the new media.
He expands these thoughts through the middle
of the book by exploring traditional library
functions of reference and cataloging and
discussing how they should be applied in
the modern library.
The last two chapters focus on information
overload and ways of maintaining harmony
and balance in your personal and professional
life. He goes so far as to compare the ALA
Code of Ethics with the Buddhist Eightfold
Path. His ideas may be a little extreme,
but common sense, balance, and a focus on
the common good will help us to see the progression
to the library of the future.
The Ultimate Digital
Library:
Where the New Information Players Meet
by Andrew K. Pace
ISBN: 0-8389-0844-6
Published: 2003
Pages: 176 pp.; softcover
Price: $35
Available from:
ALA Editions, American Library Association
50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611
312/280-2427
www.alastore.ala.org
Combine this book with the previous book
and you get an even more interesting and
confused picture of current and future librarianship.
While Gorman looks at librarianship from
its historical roots, Pace compares library
practices with those of commercial vendors
and dot-coms (both successful and failed).
He proposes "radical" changes in order for
libraries to stay competitive. Pace knows
both sides of the issue. He came to his present
job as head of systems for North Carolina
University Libraries from the library automation
vendor Innovative Interfaces.
Gorman focuses on the traditional role
of libraries in societies while Pace compares
the library to "competing" Internet services.
Both suggest changes in order for libraries
to stay relevant in the future, but the changes
are often conflicting. Pace recommends that
libraries should drop their love-hate relationship
with their traditional vendors (he is primarily
talking about library automation vendors)
and embrace some of their practices and attitudes.
He feels that many libraries are out of touch
with the current competitive arena and could
benefit by creating a better working relationship
with commercial entities. He stresses that
libraries need to adopt a more businesslike
attitude in order to stay relevant and solvent
in a climate of free information everywhere.
Pace provides several examples of existing
or failed Internet companies that present
challenges to traditional library services
and suggests ways that libraries can learn
from these supposed competitors, using the
same technology to make an even better service
for their clients. Google, Amazon, Ebrary,
XanEdu, and others all present threats and
opportunities for the agile library.
It is interesting that two very different
approaches to the field of librarianship
both end with great hope for the future.
While much work needs to be done and a redefining
of priorities is no doubt in order, both
authors profess a belief in the new or continuing
role of the library.
Google Hacks:
100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools
by Tara Calishain & Rael
Dornfest
ISBN: 0-596-00447-8
Published: 2003
Pages: 330 pp.; softcover
Price: $24.95
Available from:
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
1005 Gravenstein Highway North Sebastopol, CA 95472
800/998-9938 or 707/827-7000 www.oreilly.com
This book tells you more about Google than
you ever wanted to know. The first third
of the book or so provides tips on using
the Google search features and special services,
such as the Google Directory, Images, News,
Groups, Froogle, language tools, and other
experiments from Google Labs. The tips range
from the simple to the complex, covering
such topics as Google search syntax, how
to customize Google to your preferences,
bookmarklets, date-range searching, and much
more.
Since Google released its API in the spring
of 2002, thousands of developers have tinkered
with the Google user interface and search
functionality. To use most of these hacks,
you will need to sign up for a Google Web
API developer's key and agree to the terms
and conditions specified. However, once you've
done that, the extensions of the Google tool
are limitless. The rest of this book describes
a variety of tips for expanding or tweaking
Google. These tips range from the simple
to the bizarre. Some provide code for you
to basically copy and paste onto your own
server, while others list third-party sites
where you can use someone else's hack. A
couple of the more interesting applications
include a visual interface that shows Google
results sorted by nodes of similarity (like
Vivisimo) and a way to incorporate Google
results in a small box on your own Web page.
The most interesting chapter is the one
on Google pranks and tips. Here you learn
about a site that takes any Google results
page and presents a mirror image of it—everything
on the page is backwards. There is also Google-created
poetry and art. It is just amazing what people
do to occupy their time.
If you only want search tips on the standard
Google Web interface, this is not the book
for you. However, if you'd like to branch
out more, incorporate some Google tools on
your own site, customize the interface, or
implement some unique search functionality,
this book will give you lots of things to
try and probably inspire you to dream up
some new applications.
Super Searchers on Madison
Avenue
by Grace Avellana Villamora;
edited by Reva Basch
ISBN: 0-910965-63-3
Published: 2003
Pages: 244 pp.; softcover
Price: $24.95
Available from:
Information Today, Inc.
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055 609/654-6266; www.infotoday.com
This latest book in this wonderful series
covers the world of marketing and advertising
from the information professional's point
of view. Experts, 13 in all, were interviewed
to find out how they got into the field to
start with and what resources and skills
they call upon to be successful at their
jobs. The interviewees cover various aspects
of the advertising profession, including
copywriters, researchers, account planners,
and consultants.
It amazes me that these books continue
to stay fresh and interesting. It just goes
to show how truly varied and wide ranging
the information profession is and how resourceful
and cunning information professionals can
be. The Appendix lists 323 resources (they're
on the super searchers Web page [www.infotoday.com/supersearchers]
as well), and I am sure there is at least
one you have not heard or tried.
The author does a good job of soliciting
similar information from each interviewee,
without making it feel as though she is following
a script. She naturally digresses to follow
interesting tangents and allows the individual's
personality to come through. I particularly
like the descriptions of successful projects
or examples of particularly interesting questions,
as following the thought processes of successful
people helps others to improve or evolve
their own way of thinking through problems.
If you work in this area, you should definitely
have this book. In addition, this entire
series should be in all library schools as
in inspiration for the wide diversity of
jobs available in the library field. |
