<b>Joel Silver.</b> <i>Dr. Rosenbach and Mr. Lilly: Book Collecting in a Golden Age</i>. New Castle, Del.: Oak Knoll, 2011. 144p. $49.95 (ISBN 9781584562955). LC 2011-030561.
Author(s) -
Michael T. Ryan
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
college and research libraries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.886
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 2150-6701
pISSN - 0010-0870
DOI - 10.5860/0730201
Subject(s) - art , theology , philosophy
Each case study examines how an archive has used a Web 2.0 tool such as wikis, blogs, Flicker, Facebook, YouTube, and Second Life. The case studies follow the general layout: overview of the repository and the " business drivers, " implementation of the tool and results, challenges and lessons learned, and future directions. Most of these case studies are short (10 to 15 pages long) and contain what one might expect after having already been exposed to these technologies. While many of the chapters focus on different uses of Web 2.0 technologies, they carry the common theme of interaction with their users. The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library at UNC, for example, shares how they created a blog that keeps their staff, donors , and patrons aware of the progress on processing collections. The Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress uses Flickr not only to provide historical images and information to the general public but also to harness interest from " Flickr History Detectives " to fill in gaps of missing information about images such as names of unknown people or locations. Some of the information in the case studies will naturally become outdated as technology evolves. However, the real selling point of this book is how these experiences fit into broader contexts and examine complex issues surrounding the use of Web 2.0 tools. The section entitled " Balancing Archival Authority with Encouraging Authentic Voices to Engage with Records, " for example, discusses issues of archival authority. These themes are then woven throughout the following five case study chapters. The remainder of the book consists of a section of commentaries, which include interesting solicited interview questions from the user's perspective (historian, genealogist, and companies that provide access to archival documents). The last three chapters discuss the current needs that archivists should keep in mind in the Web 2.0 environment, such as privacy or potential versus real benefits, barriers (old and new) of these technologies, and the possible futures with existing and futuristic Internet tools. Overall, A Different Kind of Web is highly recommended for institutions that have archives, especially for those who have or are considering the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies. This would also be an incredible resource for those entering into the archival profession. While the Internet tools discussed in this book will undoubtedly change over time, the principles discussed here will hold true …
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