Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries

Citation

Fourie, I. (2008), "Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries", Online Information Review, Vol. 32 No. 5, pp. 693-694. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520810914115

Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries is a very basic, to‐the‐point guide aimed at the busy practitioner needing guidelines on the use and implementation of various web technologies. It even includes pages for making notes after each chapter.

There are five chapters covering, respectively, RSS creator and a journal table of contents alerting service, the application of RSS to subscription database content (e.g. offered by ProQuest), wiki as research guide and more specifically a business research wiki (this is offered as alternative to subject guides), library blogs within courseware to reach students, and the introduction of podcasting for librarians. The work concludes with a six‐page index. The focus of discussion is on determining whether to implement the technology under discussion, and then on actually implementing it. Each chapter concludes with a few references to the subject literature.

While reading Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries, I had very mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was hoping for more detail; on the other, I found the “no‐clutter” discussions very useful and practical. Although the content is certainly a useful guide to anyone new to the field, I would query the claim in the preface that every chapter provides “in‐depth … information”.

This work seems like a useful publication to those who are really new to the issues discussed. I think, however, that it would hold little value for those (most probably not the target audience for the book) who are to some extent familiar with the use of these technologies. At US$59.95 it also seems quite expensive compared with S. Gerding's The Accidental Technology Trainer (272 pp. and priced at US$29.95).