Semantic Web Technologies and Social Searching for Librarians (The Tech Set No. 20)

Citation

Kochunny, A. (2013), "Semantic Web Technologies and Social Searching for Librarians (The Tech Set No. 20)", Library Review, Vol. 62 No. 4/5, pp. 356-356. https://doi.org/10.1108/LR-02-2013-0032

Semantic Web Technologies and Social Searching for Librarians is the 20th volume in the Tech Set. Authors Robin M. Fay and Michael P. Sauers are experts on search and the Semantic Web. Robin is Head of Database Maintenance for the University of Georgia libraries, while Michael is currently the Technology Innovation Librarian for the Nebraska Library Commission. This is Michael's 11th book.

Semantic Web Technologies and Social Searching for Librarians is a book for the practitioner. If you have ever wondered how you could put to use some of the developments in search technologies you have come across, this is a book that will take you by the hand and walk you through a process of planning and implementing some of these technologies at your workplace.

The authors begin by introducing the reader to the concept of the semantic search and the Semantic Web, and provide a number of search solutions based on some of the most current tools available (particularly in the sphere of real‐time searching). They also offer advice on planning and marketing your project, and on “social mechanics” –, i.e. tips on getting key stakeholders within the organisation on board for your project.

More than half of the book is used to cover the aspect of implementation. This is where the authors show the reader how to use these tools to conduct more effective searches and how to use social media to find the latest information. Among the projects discussed are how to explore data and statistics through WolframAlpha, how to track and start trends using social media, and how to semanticize simple data using Google's Rich Snippets. The authors discuss a number of other projects as well, and it is this hands‐on approach in guiding the reader through the various stages of the projects that makes the book truly valuable.

The chapters on Best Practices and Metrics further enhance the value of this book. Other useful features are a list of Recommended Readings (including web resources), an Index and the book's companion web site at: www.alatechsource.org/semantic‐web‐technologies‐and‐social‐searching‐for‐librarians‐20. While the practitioner would undoubtedly benefit from reading this book, so too would their manager. Despite its compact size, this book covers a lot of ground and provides a project management perspective that would be useful to managers. It is a book that cannot be recommended too highly.