Next‐gen Library Redesign

Citation

Calvert, P. (2013), "Next‐gen Library Redesign", The Electronic Library, Vol. 31 No. 2, pp. 258-259. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640471311312456

This book is a readable guide to the design of an effective unified web presence for a library. It is suitable for librarians with some prior knowledge of digital technologies, though no assumptions are made about a high level of prior competence. After reading this book a librarian with a eye for innovation and a desire to move the library forward will be encouraged to follow some of the suggestions for making the library more approachable and relevant to the segment of the population we know to be ready and willing to engage with new technologies.

An early theme is the nature of disruption, which forces librarians to change simply because the rest of the world will move on anyway. This book is a guide to making changes built around the library's website. This does not need to be expensive, as chapter two is intended to show with its emphasis on low cost and open source software (but without, I thought, enough warnings about the hidden costs of using such software if the library does not have the necessary technical skills in‐house).

The core of the book lies in chapter five, which contains descriptions of six projects the reader can follow. The reader is given instruction and helpful suggestions for the creation of cooperative subject guides, developing catalogues for use on mobile devices, putting the spotlight on “deep” collections through site maps, the use of social media through the website, and using crowd sourcing to improve the collections. I particularity took note of the advice on promoting librarians themselves through the website, for people are the richest resources in a library yet a certain kind of modesty always seems to hold them back from taking a higher profile.

Elsewhere in the book is advice on using digital technologies to improve the promotion of the library, reduce librarians' workloads, and evaluating the work done with quantitative and qualitative measures. The book concludes with the author's suggestions for keeping current with ongoing technological developments. Use e‐books, the author says, get into augmented reality, and, well, anything and everything that is on the leading edge.

As with all the book in the Tech Set, this volume is a convenient size for reading at any time, the style of writing is approachable, and the cost within reach of nearly all libraries.