Nancy Courtney

I have this book because of a project I'm working on for Public Libraries. I think that in 2007, which is likely the peak of the debate on what "Library 2.0" really means or is, the book was pretty dead relevant. I am amazed to think that less than 2 years later (thinking back a year) that probably half the topics are either accepted as normal "business" in libraries or are dead; wikis, podcasting, handheld devices, and gaming in libraries are all accepted.

The only really interested discussions in the book today relate to the so-called "Catalog 2.0" and mashups. In them are the kernels of what should be the truth for libraries and librarians today, which is "expose your data" as much as possible and work to make sure that your holdings show up in searches. The library specific catalog will have its uses for users that arrive at your site, but in an of itself it will not pull them there. Mashups rely on access to your informational databases, so expose them. ...you get the idea.

So, although still useful in the current debates and work of libraries in the Internet Age, this book is fast becoming a historical document.… (meer)