Keeping Current: Advanced Internet Strategies to Meet Librarian and Patron Needs

Citation

Parry, F. (2004), "Keeping Current: Advanced Internet Strategies to Meet Librarian and Patron Needs", The Electronic Library, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 286-287. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470410541723

This book is aimed squarely at the hard‐pressed librarian who wants to keep abreast of developments in Internet information provision but does not particularly want to have to spend all day doing it. It is short, snappy and packed with useful hints. Written in an engagingly informal style with plenty of real‐life anecdotes to enliven the discussion, the book is divided into five chapters:

1. 1.

   Developments in currency with a brief history of methods of keeping up to date before the Web came along.

2. 2.

   Search engines.

3. 3.

   Web site monitoring.

4. 4.

   Weblogs.

5. 5.

   RSS feeds.

The main emphasis of the chapter on search engines is how to keep up to date with the ever‐changing landscape of search engines. Cohen notes that this is particularly important for librarians as search engines mutate or are augmented by bigger, smarter and more complex versions. He is particularly good in this respect, but rather surprisingly makes no mention of the search engine's near neighbour, specialist subject gateways with their ready‐made “communities” of subject specialists and researchers.

Cohen is a firm believer in uncomplicated, easy‐to‐use technology. This is exemplified in his succinct evaluation of free and for‐fee Web site monitoring software, revealing a keen eye for detail. He also provides useful hints for utilising the software to avoid false or excessive updates and is candid about the shortfalls of such services, such as the frequent inability to monitor dead or disappearing pages.

There is a similarly straightforward approach in the chapter on Weblogs, the pros and cons of popular blogging software and the business of setting up a blog. Some readers will be less interested in the mechanics of Weblog creation as they will in Weblog utilisation. The final part of the chapter will be of interest to them, listing some of the best general and library and information science Weblogs. Weblogs represent one of the best ways for sharing and organising information within small communities and Cohen does a good job in describing these. It is perhaps unfortunate that he does not spend any time discussing specialist e‐mail discussion lists that share many of the same features and functions as Weblogs.

The final chapter deals with the exciting new development in content delivery, RSS feeds. This technology is instrumental in enabling the ultimate goal of information being delivered from sites to the user rather than the other way round – push as opposed to pull. Cohen also believes that RSS feeds allow the information professional to take a professional lead in pioneering new current awareness technology.

Some parts of this study are a little thin and there are a few areas that Cohen does not touch at all, notably current awareness services such as electronic tables of contents and other e‐alerts from publishers. I would also have liked to see a summary listing of Web sites and perhaps some further reading recommendations. Nonetheless, this is a good, clearly written and easy‐to‐follow book, written with authority and infectious enthusiasm. It is recommended.