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Title:
Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication and Community Online
Review:
This book is a great introduction to the area of social software for anyone still left wondering what on earth a wiki is or what RSS feeds do. Whilst the title indicates that it is intended for librarians, the book is perfectly suited for anyone who is after an introduction to the area of social software or even seeking to build upon basic existing knowledge.
All aspects of social software are covered, ranging from blogs and social bookmarking sites to instant messaging programs and podcasts. Each topic has its own chapter, so you can easily dip in and out of the book or jump straight to the technology you're interested in. Meredith Farkas's approach to topics and writing style is user- friendly, so her book can be easily read from cover to cover.
Chapters describe each technology, charting its evolution, demonstrating its practical applications and finishing with tips on how to make it work within a library setting. Obviously not all social software tools are appropriate for all types of libraries, and this issue is addressed towards the end of the book in a chapter that distinguishes between different types of libraries (eg, public, academic, school, corporate, etc) and which technologies may be best suited to each. However, case studies focus on how technologies have been utilised in public or academic libraries; workers in medical or corporate libraries may find it more difficult to extract practical ideas that could be utilised in their working environment.
The obvious downside to any book that discusses technology is that it soon becomes out of date. A case in point being the chapter on social networking, in which the author states that users of Facebook must have a valid email address from the institution they are registering with to sign up. But in September 2006 Facebook changed its registration policy so that anyone could join, regardless of whether they use an institution e-mail address, or a more generic address from accounts such as Hotmail, Yahoo! or Gmail.
A good countermeasure to the drawback of writing about constantly changing technology is the book's accompanying website, which Farkas regularly updates. There are links to all of the websites and resources mentioned in the book, and also links to the author's blog, where she reflects on her profession as a librarian and current developments in technology and Web-based applications.
Overall, the book is a good introduction to social software technologies and is the perfect companion for academic and public- sector librarians. The writing style and practical examples are sufficiently clear that you don't have to be a computer wizard to use and benefit from social software - all you really need is the desire to try new things and experiment with some current tools.
As the author points out, 'Libraries are always looking for new ways to disseminate information and attract new patrons.' The introduction of some of the technologies discussed in this book could definitely help in enabling librarians to interact with their patrons in new and exciting ways, develop quality online resources and create a significant online presence.
FreePint Reviewer:
Emma Angus is a member of the Statistical Cybermetrics Research Group at the University of Wolverhampton. She is currently investigating the uses of image-based social software applications such as Flickr.
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