Ian McCallum

The committed reader: Reading for utility, pleasure and fulfillment in the twenty-first century

example of this type of book is Wendy Belcher’sWriting your journal article in 12 weeks: A guide to academic publishing success (SAGE, 2009). So if native English speakers need to be taught these skills, then perhaps NNES authors needs instruction too, with additional information to address their situation. Supporting research writing addresses this need. The book is aimed at those who provide the support, and it definitely delivers on its promise. One key theme from this book is the need for the language professional to be proactive in helping NNES authors with writing and handling some content. Supporting research writing is an intriguing volume examining an aspect (multilingualism) of academic publishing not often addressed. It is highly recommended for academic and research libraries to help diversify academic content.

Use of social media by the library: Current practices and future opportunities. A white paper from Taylor & Francis

There is considerable content covered here, but comparisons are made mostly on a general scale – for example, the music industry rather than a specific music publisher. However, small explorations of particular companies are distributed throughout the chapters, providing a more focused exploration of what is being discussed. Barclay looks clearly at libraries and what they are doing in the digital sphere and what their potential could be by taking a more business-like stance in online service. His analyses are well supported by comprehensive references at the end of each chapter. The focus is more on content rather than types of access, so there is no discussion of devices or apps. There is much to learn from Serving online customers, and I am sure lessons will be learned that the author did not anticipate. If you are involved in online service delivery in libraries, then you will find considerable value in this small package.

An unqualified success: the extraordinary life of Allan Percy Fleming

Peter Golding has written in lively style a fascinating account of the life of Allan Fleming (1912–2001): teacher, journalist, decorated soldier, defence intelligence expert, trade commissioner, parliamentary librarian, National Librarian and then, from out of retirement, head of a new counterterrorist organisation responsible for the security of Australian public figures, starting in 1978 at the time of the Hilton Hotel bombing in Sydney (Figure 1). That’s a lot for one man and one lifetime, but it is Fleming the library administrator who interests us most. Three chapters in the middle of the book present a rare analysis of National Library leadership in the decade from 1970, when Fleming succeeded Sir Harold White, to 1980, when Harrison Bryan took over from George Chandler. Although Prime Minister Holt had been party to Fleming’s appointment to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library position, and two years later Prime Minister Gorton announced Fleming’s elevation to the National Library, this show of confidence

Returning to Ithaca To Get On with the Mission: Defining Value in Terms of Our Contribution to our Customers and Our Profession.

Keynote speech delivered at An information Odyssey…a long and eventful journey. 11th ALIA National Library Technicians Conference Hobart 21–24 August 2001. The author explores the conference theme An information Odyssey…a long and eventful journey within the context of Odysseus’ wanderings, using them as a metaphor for the library profession returning to fundamental customer-centric issues. He presents recent information on library use, technology in libraries, the quantifiable value of library services, and participation in professional activities. The key points are: the justification for professional behaviour is the value provided to customers, and the mark of professionalism is the support professionals provide for each other.

Competitive intelligence for information professionals (Chandos Information Professional Series)

Your reviewer is a little perplexed by this slim volume. on the one hand ‘it is about a systematic and structured way of working to transform scattered and disaggregated information into actionable intelligence to create valuable insights and even wisdom to be used in strategic and operational decisions and actions’; on the other hand, what’s the big deal? isn’t this what special and reference librarians do all the time? The authors, both with commercial (pharmaceutical and packaging) and university library experience, and now with their own consulting companies, want us to understand that ‘competitive intelligence managed in a structured way adds value to every business and organisation’s future development and competitiveness’ – but we already knew this: timely, organised, authoritative, quality information leads to quality decision-making in any context. so what is the book about? i think it is about a five-phase process model for competitive intelligence which moves from planning to collecting, managing, analysing and disseminating information to corporate target groups. of the 12 short chapters, four are devoted to the model, and the others are an amalgam of knowledge management and project management tips, advice on positioning competitive intelligence professionals within organisations and, in the final chapter, brief comments on tools and methods for collective analysis and decision-making. Case studies from the authors’ own experience are used sparingly and with insufficient detail to quantify the value to the organisation of following the model. Perhaps there is a problem with the model? in its description of external and internal information sources it reads more like a knowledge management primer explaining tacit and explicit knowledge than a convincing argument for funding the competitive intelligence function. it is arguable that today the most valuable competitive intelligence comes from engaging with customers and seeking feedback on products and services both provided and planned, and not from brainstorming with fellow employees and scanning the social media postings of competitors. Perhaps i am being a little harsh. Maybe i should make allowances for what might have been lost in translation from the swedish. But i was looking for impact, a clear indication of the quantitative and qualitative benefits of a professional and systematic approach to the creation of ‘actionable intelligence’. Maybe i should have looked elsewhere.

A librarian’s guide to graphs, data and the semantic web: Chandos information professional series

If that seems a little vague, the contents page is very specific. There are 23 chapters covering graph theory; the Semantic Web; social, commercial, scientific and library networks; RDF, metadata and ontologies; linked data; and semantic repositories. This is a book about, exploring ways to make sense of more and more data. Yes, it’s quite technical, but it is also quite practical with many examples, case studies and sample code. Most importantly, it is surprisingly readable with the authors enlivening the text with anecdotes from current research, other technical sources, historical texts and even novels. They try hard, and succeed, in getting their message across. Ontological auto-metamorphosis might not be for everyone, and SPARQL, the Semantic Web’s most widely used query language might be something you’ve not questioned, but our authors make a persuasive case for seeing the Semantic Web as an application of graph theory to information organisation. The chapters on linked data and on citation networks are excellent: clearly written and comprehensively illustrated. The text is conveniently relieved with more than 70 figures, many in colour. Complex technical content can be tackled sequentially, or cherry-picked by topic: the contents list is five pages long; the index is eight double-column pages; detail is rendered simply in tables and diagrams. Code lists encourage experimentation and open source software options are assessed for utility. This is an impressive book – not for everyone, but for those with a technical inclination, and some curiosity about Sir Timothy Berners Lee’s vision for globally connected information sources which reveal their characteristics to each other, it’s like nothing else this reviewer has seen. So, a must for systems librarians, but also likely to be of interest to other IT professionals who wonder about the future of information retrieval systems. The late Kerry Webb would have loved it. Recommended, and excellent value at 33 cents a page.

We’re on a mission. Libraries for the nation. We can do this*

Abstract Using primary source material, contemporary accounts and personal recollection the author traces the emergence of the National Library of Australia’s confident view of itself as a library for all other Australian libraries, with a special responsibility for computer-based bibliographic control systems at the centre of national library cooperation. The paper focuses on the period 1968–1979, a time of unprecedented growth in library and information services – a time when the computers came.

Assessing service quality: satisfying the expectations of library customers

About turn. Our customers, not our peers or funders, should be the judges of our success or failure. And when you think about it, unless we can attract and retain customers – grow our business and expand the customer base – we might as well make a greater contribution elsewhere. Written by distinguished academics, this is the message conveyed in the third and substantially updated edition of a blueprint for uncovering and satisfying the expectations of academic and public library customers. In 13 chapters the authors set the scene, establish the case for new ways of evaluating library services, then describe customer-centric performance metrics including: determining organisational effectiveness; what to measure and why; being wary of input and output measures without evidence of impact; listening to customers and managing their feedback; conducting surveys and focus groups; measuring satisfaction and service quality, then applying the findings to improve customer service. The large-format, double-column text is well supported with 63 figures containing check-lists, discussion questions for staff and customers, surveys and process guides. There are summaries and up-to-date references at the end of each chapter, and a detailed index for the whole work. This is a very impressive, very useful publication. In a highly readable fashion it moves from where we are to what needs to be done, and then suggests how we might go about the task of creating the customer-centric library.

Business school libraries in the 21st century

are so successful they are maintained on an ongoing basis, and often artists approach the library to be invited next. In facilitating arts programmes within the library space, staff have opportunities to gain various skills in management and administration as they work to bring the event/ exhibition to launch. This can involve collaborating with various internal and external contacts, submitting grant proposals, creating a marketing plan, establishing connections with individual artists and curating the exhibition or event. The contributors also caution against the burden of administration, raising expectations and needing to ensure sustainable funding and resources. Appendices, which provide a practical, step-by-step guide to help achieve a successful event, cover occupational health and safety regulations, ALA’s website, how to put together exhibits, and a host of programming ideas and resources. Overall the aim of the book is to inspire libraries to take the plunge, engage with the community, and create outreach programmes and partnerships, while keeping a prudent eye on time, money and resources. In the words of a past contributor, ‘what artistic canvas do you want your library to be?’

Digital libraries and information access: Research perspectives

well as the provision of training and support. Each chapter is supplemented and expanded by the inclusion of a series of short case studies – projects illustrating the specific application of the topic under discussion. There is a greater variety of voices here, although again many of the projects are connected with UCL. The opening chapter, by Claire Warwick, is particularly valuable. She gives a very good introduction to studying humanities researchers as users, reviewing various recent studies (including her own LARIAH project) and making a series of recommendations – aimed mainly at ensuring that users are not taken for granted in building and applying digital technologies. It is slightly disappointing, though, that there is little discussion or analysis of humanities research processes in a general sense. In practice the approach taken by the editors means that the book tends to define digital humanities as the use of information technology to carry out and enhance humanities research. The focus is mostly on techniques, resources and projects. There is little discussion of promoting digital humanities as a field, or of the possible relevance of digital humanities to cultural criticism – as urged by Alan Liu and other scholars. Most digital humanities activities and projects have a connection with libraries, and this book provides a reliable introduction and overview for a library audience. At several points the authors note the importance for the digital humanities of librarians and similar personnel in what has become known as the #alt-ac community. Digital humanities is growing rapidly; more than 450 people attended the 2013 international Digital Humanities Conference, for example. Academic librarians need to be aware of what is happening in this field and consider how best to provide support and expertise.