The Library and Information Professional's Internet Companion

Citation

Meaden, K. (2006), "The Library and Information Professional's Internet Companion", New Library World, Vol. 107 No. 1/2, pp. 78-79. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074800610639067

In the past ten years, the internet has had a massive impact on nearly all aspects of information and library service provision. New technologies have enabled us to improve our service delivery and the ways in which we interact with our customers, and our customers have benefited from increased access to a wide range of resources and have been encouraged to empower themselves.

This book, as the title makes clear, is intended for use by library and information professionals who require an overview of the technologies that are available to them in order to take full advantage of the opportunities that the internet can offer to improve their service delivery.

It is very broad in its coverage, including topics such as creating web pages, web design, portals, VLEs, web hosting, file transfer, e‐mail, spam, real time systems such as instant messaging and videoconferencing, and advanced technologies such as plug ins, streaming, RSS and WIKIs. In addition to current developments, it also explains the history of the internet and how its development has affected a range of different types of information service and created new ones.

This is a simple and concise introduction to the vast subject of the internet, but unfortunately it does sacrifice depth in its desire for breadth. Important issues such as web accessibility are covered in one paragraph or less, and it does not do justice to topics such as effective Internet searching and creating web pages. Furthermore, some of the content is now common knowledge, and seems to be included merely to demonstrate comprehensiveness. The “tips” that are littered amongst the pages do attempt to redress the balance, directing the reader to sources of further information, but somehow they just don't win the battle.

This book would be ideal for someone new to the profession who requires an overview of Internet developments to date, or for an established professional who feels that there is potential for improving their service using the Internet but isn't sure how to identify or implement it. It would also be an excellent text for library and information students. The explanations are clear and do not require the reader to have a great deal of technical knowledge. However, if you are already familiar with internet technologies, it won't provide you with the level of detail that you need.