Ref Rap

The Tech Set – Ten Volumes edited by Ellyssa Kroski - Part 1.

(You may recall a quick email that Danny sent about these books earlier in the year)

This is a set of books that I thought might help all those staff out there grappling with their Library Science assignments. But also, for all of us trying to get a grasp on all the new technology that today’s librarian has to deal with; to remain current and progress with the times. Some of the series might just give us project ideas on what we might think of doing in the library in the future.
Elyssa writes that she developed this series of books because she “perceived a need for a set of practical guidebooks for using today’s cutting-edge technologies specifically within libraries”.
Basically, we all know this ‘Web 2.0’ stuff is great; and we need and want to have it, but how on earth do we start!!!! These books are here to help with clear, straight forward and (for the moment, anyway!) up to date information.
Each book starts with helping you, as an individual, to use the specific technology and then gives more advanced ideas for projects within your library. There is also companion wikis and podcasts to give up to date and more details.

Vol. 1
Next-gen library catalogs by Marshall Breeding
Marshall writes that “To stay relevant, today’s libraries need to offer an Internet search presence that blends Web 2.0 technologies with library-centred content, one that enables users to quickly reach the rich multimedia collections found within both digital and physical collections”. This is to prevent information seekers just heading to ‘Google’. With this book, Marshall shows us how we can go about creating this presence. How to plan it, implement it, market it and measure how successful we are with our creation.
Vol. 2
Mobile technology and libraries by Jason Griffey
More and more people are using their mobiles to connect to the internet and Jason believes that we need to keep up with mobile technology and adapt our services to be mobile friendly. This could include creating a mobile version of the website/catalogue and using SMS for basic reference queries. In this book, Jason shows how to create these; as well as outlining different mobile platforms, services and devices that are available at the moment.
Vol. 3
Microblogging and lifestreaming in libraries by Robin M. Hastings
For those of you wondering why the library has a Twitter account and what it could be used for; this book is for you! If all those HSC students at Cronulla had received the ‘tweet’ from the library, about the Cronulla Library fire, they would not have been standing lost outside the library that morning wondering where to go to study. They would have been quickly informed and made other arrangements. So basically that’s what Twitter and other tools like it are for – getting information out quickly (about books, services etc.) and this could have many uses in the library, particularly in the realm of marketing. This book shows how to do it.
Vol. 4
Library videos and webcasts by Thomas Sean Casserley Robinson
This volume is a step by step guide to creating high quality webcasts, which we could use for promotion, instruction and entertainment. It includes what equipment to use, the planning and development and also; post-production. It also teaches about camera techniques and how to use props and special effects.

“Approachable and not overly technical.” - Martin Boyce E-Services Librarian