Suggested Readings

This was compiled by Mary Broussard at Lycoming College. They are arranged with the ones I recommend most highly at the top, with others following after. Suggestions for additions to the list are welcome, please send them to broussm@lycoming.edu.

• Farkas, M. (2007). Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication, and Community Online. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.
  This is the most thorough introduction to social software that I have come across and I highly recommend it to anyone who works in a library. Each chapter focuses on a particular technology (blogs, wikis, podcasts, social bookmarking, social networking, etc.), then discusses how libraries are using them. There are lots of specific examples given. Highlights of the book can be found on my blog.

• Shirky, C. (2008). Presentation at Web 2.0 Expo. Video available at: http://blip.tv/file/855937/
  This is a great introduction to how social medias are changing our world from a non-library point of view. He also has some interesting insights on how this makes our students view the world differently than we do since they haven't known a world where media didn't invite participation. More notes from this presentation can be found on my blog.

• Cohen, S. F. (2008). Taking 2.0 to the faculty: Why, who, and how. College & Research Libraries News, 69(8). 472-475. Available online at: http://acrl.ala.org/crlnews/september08/taking20.pdf
  This is a brief, practical article on sharing 2.0 technologies with faculty. Faculty are often not up-to-date with the latest technologies, and many think these technologies just aren't "for them," and should be left to their students. Yet students find technology that is well-integrated into pedagogy helps them learn better. So why should librarians do this and not IT? Because we are educators and have "an awareness of the pedagogical opportunities technology offers." Librarians should remind faculty that with such a variety of tools, something is bound to suit them. Also show faculty how to use these tools for professional development and keeping up with old friends and new colleagues. Find out what the faculty need, then find the right tool for them. An important tip: collaborate, do not pontificate.

• Courtney, N. (ed.). (2007). Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies and Tomorrow's User. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
  This book is an anthology of very different chapters. Each has it's on format, style, and focus. I had three chapters that really stood out to me: Chapter 4 on podcasting, Chapter 8 on user-based tagging, and Chapter 9 on learning from video games. The chapters on digital storytelling and Web 2.0 in future online catalogs were very good, but less relevant to what I do. Other topics covered included Virtual Worlds (Second Life), Social Networking, Mashups, Handheld Computers in Library (including cell phones), Wikis. More detailed highlights can be found on my blog.

• Rethlefsen, M., Engard, N. C., Chang, D., & Haytko, C. (2006). Social Software for Libraries and Librarians. Journal of Hospital Librarianship, 6(4). 29-45.
  The first part of this article was a useful overview. The second half got a little tedious with suggestions for uses that are strictly for the health care library field, which of course did not interest me. This article is best for those who are not at all familiar with 2.0 technologies.

• Shirky, C. (2008). Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations. New York: Penguin.
  This is a really interesting look at how Web 2.0 is changing our world. I found his presentation (see above) to be much more interesting than this book, and of course much shorter. He is not a librarian, and he doesn't give any tips on how to put these technologies to use. There are lots of examples to help illustrate his points. Further highlights of this book can also be found on my blog.