- Email: [email protected]
Virtual Research Environments
Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways to Deliver Library Data, edited by Nicole Engard. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 2009. 334 p. $32.00. ISBN 978-1-57387-372-7.
Book Reviews edited by Joan Cheverie
Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways Edited by Nicole Engard Reviewed by Annie Armstrong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
176
Virtual Research Environments: From Portals to Science Gateways By Robert Allan Reviewed by Lee Andrew Hilyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
176
Wikipedia: A new Community of Practice By Dan O’Sullivan Reviewed by Sandra R. Hussey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
177
The Successful Library Trustee Handbook By Mary Y. Moore Reviewed by Steve McKinzie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
178
Special Collections 2.0: New Technologies for Rare Books By Beth M. Whittaker and Lynne M. Thomas Reviewed by Margot Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
178
Digital Inclusion: Measuring the Impact of Information and Community Edited by Michael Crandall and Karen E. Fisher Reviewed by Maura Seale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
179
Hiring, Training, and Supervising Library Shelvers By Patricia Tunstall Reviewed by Craig Sallinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
179
Building Library 3.0: Issues in Creating Participation By Woody Evans Reviewed by Nadaleen Tempelman-Kluit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: An Introduction By Kay Ann Cassell and Uma Hiremath Reviewed by Alexandra Simons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In her introduction to Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways to Deliver Library Data, editor Nicole Engard defines mashups as “web applications that use content from more than one source to create a single new service, displayed in a single graphical interface.” In order to create mashups using the content from websites, the data must first be extracted, commonly via its application programming interface, or API. When this is not possible, data can often be extracted in preparation for mashing through other means, such as by using Yahoo!Pipes, the subject of an entire chapter of Library Mashups. Once a librarian or developer discovers the key to extracting and combining data from myriad websites, s/he can transform static, lifeless library web pages into dynamic, interactive user-centered experiences by incorporating such features as interactive maps, book suggestion services, video and image collections, and OPAC or federated search widgets. Depending on the complexity of each mashup, these feats can be achieved by librarians with wide-ranging levels of technological and programming expertise, often with little to no financial investment, as many if not the majority of mashups can be achieved through the use of open-source applications, or through the hybridization of subscription tools and open-source applications. Although plenty of books in the library literature promote Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 technologies, this book is unique in its solitary devotion to mashups, an extremely diverse and continually proliferating class in and of itself. The concise, accessible and practical chapters logically progress from the overview and definition stages to case studies delineating successful mashup projects in public and academic libraries throughout the world. Each case study is replete with step-by-step instructions, screenshots, and samples of code to break down and demystify the development process. Furthermore, the appendix lists links to all websites mentioned, and the editor maintains an accompanying website on which she updates URLs to all examples cited in the book. In general, the tone of Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways to Deliver Library Data is empowering, espousing an enthusiastic, do-ityourself spirit encouraging librarians of all skill levels to experiment and see what they can do to enrich their websites. The brief chapters provide a manageable glimpse into the world of mashups allowing readers to canvas the volume of possibilities before pinpointing potential projects to pursue. Realistically, some of the mashups explained (particularly those requiring the extraction of OPAC data) seem attainable by programmers, developers, and/or systems librarians while others seem doable by a curious and diligent librarian with minimal programming skills, possibly within the scope of a few afternoons. Even for those who do not personally enact any of the ideas showcased in this book, becoming conversant on the subject of mashups and their inner-workings could allow them to discuss and promote innovative enhancements to their library websites with those with the technological aptitude to bring them to fruition.—Annie Armstrong, Assistant Reference Librarian and Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago, 801 S. Morgan St., MC 234, Chicago, IL 60607, USA [email protected]. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2010.01.013
179 Virtual Research Environments: From Portals to Science Gateways, by Robert Allan. Oxford, UK: Chandos Publishing, 2009. 266 p. $85.00. ISBN: 978-1-84334-562-6. 180
The nature and practice of research, especially in the sciences and social sciences, has changed rapidly in the last decade due to improve-
176 The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 36, Number 2, pages 176–180
ments and advancements in distributed computing resources and communication technologies. Researchers who previously worked in isolation can now share terabytes of data and analysis quickly and easily through virtual research environments (VREs), which help them manage complex research tasks “…by providing an infrastructure, framework and user interfaces specifically designed to support all the activities carried out within their research teams, on both small and large scales” (p. 5). The US' National Virtual Observatory (http:// www.us-vo.org/) and the UK's NeuroHub (http://www.jisc.org.uk/ whatwedo/programmes/inf11/einf/neurohub.aspx) are two examples of VREs for science research. Nearly every aspect of a VRE is covered in the book's thirteen chapters. Chapter One introduces the concept of a VRE and describes multiple projects and VRE activity across the globe. Chapter Two, “Motivation and requirements,” describes the research lifecycle as researchers help to transform data into knowledge. Data warehousing, analysis tools, and communication tools, all essential to the research lifecycle, are discussed in this chapter. The creation of data through modeling, experimentation and simulation, and the attendant need for its curation and preservation are detailed in Chapter Three. Chapter Four, “Managing and using digital information,” provides a superb list of information sources used by researchers in various disciplines and will be helpful to librarians, whether or not they are working in a VRE. Chapters Five through Eight cover the foundational elements of a VRE such as the architecture it is built upon, grid computing resources, collaboration tools, and authentication and security issues. These chapters are most useful to readers with a strong networking and computer systems background. Chapter Nine, “Desktop environments and the web,” describes the components necessary for the end-user VRE experience. Sakai, an open-source online collaborative learning environment (similar to the commercial products WebCT® and Blackboard®) is detailed in Chapter Ten. The author has worked extensively on the implementation of Sakai across all parts of the research lifecycle. URLs of demonstration projects using Sakai are noted throughout the text. Helpful features include two extended examples (Chapters 11 and 12) describing “e-infrastructure” for research: one for the social sciences and one for an experimental science facility. Appendices include a list of e-research portals and gateways, information on eresearch tools and services, and a glossary of terms and acronyms used in the text. While the subject matter of this volume is highly technical, Allan's writing style is accessible and approachable. Virtual Research Environments provides a thorough introduction to understanding, implementing, and using e-research. Science librarians in particular would benefit from reading this volume. It provides an overview to the virtual environments in which their faculty and students are conducting and disseminating research, and it points out opportunities where library resources and services can be included to facilitate the research process.—Lee Andrew Hilyer, Program Director for Research and Reference Services, University of Houston Libraries, Houston, TX 77204-2000, USA [email protected]. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2010.01.014
Wikipedia: A New Community of Practice?, by Dan O'Sullivan. Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2009. 191p. $79.95. ISBN 978-0-75467433-7. Since its inception in 2001, Wikipedia has rapidly taken over the ready reference role which standard print encyclopedias long held. What sets it apart, and makes it a target of criticism, is that articles are
written and edited by a wide range of contributors, many anonymous, many with unknown expertise. Even so, Wikipedia articles can compare favorably with Encyclopaedia Britannica's. How does that happen in Wikipedia? Dan O'Sullivan provides historical context for the Wikipedia phenomenon by providing examples of similar past group projects. These earlier “communities of practice” are the Library of Alexandria, the Royal Society of London, the Encyclopaedia of Diderot, the Oxford English Dictionary, and the Left Book Club, selected as mainly nonhierarchical groups that created non-linear texts (p. 2). He reviews each group's aims, social composition and interaction, transaction costs, and relations with the public. Using these same criteria, O'Sullivan then critiques Wikipedia, acknowledging the Web changes the landscape for social interaction, information dissemination, and knowledge creation. Wikipedia is as much a community as a product (p. 74) and like other social media, it promotes and facilitates collaboration, minimizing barriers that the earlier groups faced. Moreover, Wikipedia highlights issues such as the nature of knowledge and truth, the primacy of expertise, and individual authorship. The book sometimes takes the position that all knowledge is relative and provisional, and therefore the “wisdom of crowds” (p. 126) will reach consensus regarding the best presentation of truth and Wikipedia's objective of a “neutral point of view.” O'Sullivan argues that the strength of Wikipedia is in the “History” and “Discussion” pages that underlie the project. The history and discussion of edits is readily available to authors, editors, and readers alike in real time, thus mitigating problems with tampering, inaccuracies, and bad grammar. Conventional publishing hides these activities from public view, and although professional editing and the reputation of the author and publisher lend weight to the trustworthiness of a work, bias and mistakes may be less apparent to the reader than in Wikipedia. Also, Wikipedia has instituted additional safeguards, both technological and human, to overcome some of the dangers. The final section is more practical: using the features of Wikipedia, assessing the articles, and contributing to the project. Because Wikipedia encourages all to contribute to its development, O'Sullivan felt it unfair to criticize Wikipedia without encouraging others to improve it (p. 3). His example of the development of the “Great Fire of London” article at three time points from its earliest instance through 2008 demonstrates his rubric for evaluating the quality of Wikipedia articles, showing how the article improved. Close reading of the articles using this rubric would be useful in information literacy instruction. Two recent works also appraise Wikipedia as a community. The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia by Andrew Lih (Hyperion, 2009) traces the ethos of collaborative work in the pre-Web hacker community as a precursor to the Wikipedia community. Lih gives more details than O'Sullivan about the development of wiki software and Wikipedia's origins and operations. Working Within Wikipedia: Infrastructures of Knowing and Knowledge Production, a recent PhD thesis by Richard Geiger (Georgetown University, 2009), emphasizes that the technological aspects of Wikipedia enhance and strengthen the social aspects of contributing and editing. O'Sullivan's overview and analysis provide useful background for understanding Wikipedia as both reference tool and social media and the “implications of a means of knowledge dissemination, but also production, that is the most far-reaching of any in existence today.” (183) Recommended.—Sandra R. Hussey, Library Research Instruction Librarian, Lauinger Library, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057-0003, USA [email protected]. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2010.01.015
March 2010 177
Book Reviews edited by Joan Cheverie
Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways Edited by Nicole Engard Reviewed by Annie Armstrong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
176
Virtual Research Environments: From Portals to Science Gateways By Robert Allan Reviewed by Lee Andrew Hilyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
176
Wikipedia: A new Community of Practice By Dan O’Sullivan Reviewed by Sandra R. Hussey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
177
The Successful Library Trustee Handbook By Mary Y. Moore Reviewed by Steve McKinzie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
178
Special Collections 2.0: New Technologies for Rare Books By Beth M. Whittaker and Lynne M. Thomas Reviewed by Margot Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
178
Digital Inclusion: Measuring the Impact of Information and Community Edited by Michael Crandall and Karen E. Fisher Reviewed by Maura Seale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
179
Hiring, Training, and Supervising Library Shelvers By Patricia Tunstall Reviewed by Craig Sallinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
179
Building Library 3.0: Issues in Creating Participation By Woody Evans Reviewed by Nadaleen Tempelman-Kluit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: An Introduction By Kay Ann Cassell and Uma Hiremath Reviewed by Alexandra Simons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In her introduction to Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways to Deliver Library Data, editor Nicole Engard defines mashups as “web applications that use content from more than one source to create a single new service, displayed in a single graphical interface.” In order to create mashups using the content from websites, the data must first be extracted, commonly via its application programming interface, or API. When this is not possible, data can often be extracted in preparation for mashing through other means, such as by using Yahoo!Pipes, the subject of an entire chapter of Library Mashups. Once a librarian or developer discovers the key to extracting and combining data from myriad websites, s/he can transform static, lifeless library web pages into dynamic, interactive user-centered experiences by incorporating such features as interactive maps, book suggestion services, video and image collections, and OPAC or federated search widgets. Depending on the complexity of each mashup, these feats can be achieved by librarians with wide-ranging levels of technological and programming expertise, often with little to no financial investment, as many if not the majority of mashups can be achieved through the use of open-source applications, or through the hybridization of subscription tools and open-source applications. Although plenty of books in the library literature promote Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 technologies, this book is unique in its solitary devotion to mashups, an extremely diverse and continually proliferating class in and of itself. The concise, accessible and practical chapters logically progress from the overview and definition stages to case studies delineating successful mashup projects in public and academic libraries throughout the world. Each case study is replete with step-by-step instructions, screenshots, and samples of code to break down and demystify the development process. Furthermore, the appendix lists links to all websites mentioned, and the editor maintains an accompanying website on which she updates URLs to all examples cited in the book. In general, the tone of Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways to Deliver Library Data is empowering, espousing an enthusiastic, do-ityourself spirit encouraging librarians of all skill levels to experiment and see what they can do to enrich their websites. The brief chapters provide a manageable glimpse into the world of mashups allowing readers to canvas the volume of possibilities before pinpointing potential projects to pursue. Realistically, some of the mashups explained (particularly those requiring the extraction of OPAC data) seem attainable by programmers, developers, and/or systems librarians while others seem doable by a curious and diligent librarian with minimal programming skills, possibly within the scope of a few afternoons. Even for those who do not personally enact any of the ideas showcased in this book, becoming conversant on the subject of mashups and their inner-workings could allow them to discuss and promote innovative enhancements to their library websites with those with the technological aptitude to bring them to fruition.—Annie Armstrong, Assistant Reference Librarian and Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago, 801 S. Morgan St., MC 234, Chicago, IL 60607, USA [email protected]. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2010.01.013
179 Virtual Research Environments: From Portals to Science Gateways, by Robert Allan. Oxford, UK: Chandos Publishing, 2009. 266 p. $85.00. ISBN: 978-1-84334-562-6. 180
The nature and practice of research, especially in the sciences and social sciences, has changed rapidly in the last decade due to improve-
176 The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 36, Number 2, pages 176–180
ments and advancements in distributed computing resources and communication technologies. Researchers who previously worked in isolation can now share terabytes of data and analysis quickly and easily through virtual research environments (VREs), which help them manage complex research tasks “…by providing an infrastructure, framework and user interfaces specifically designed to support all the activities carried out within their research teams, on both small and large scales” (p. 5). The US' National Virtual Observatory (http:// www.us-vo.org/) and the UK's NeuroHub (http://www.jisc.org.uk/ whatwedo/programmes/inf11/einf/neurohub.aspx) are two examples of VREs for science research. Nearly every aspect of a VRE is covered in the book's thirteen chapters. Chapter One introduces the concept of a VRE and describes multiple projects and VRE activity across the globe. Chapter Two, “Motivation and requirements,” describes the research lifecycle as researchers help to transform data into knowledge. Data warehousing, analysis tools, and communication tools, all essential to the research lifecycle, are discussed in this chapter. The creation of data through modeling, experimentation and simulation, and the attendant need for its curation and preservation are detailed in Chapter Three. Chapter Four, “Managing and using digital information,” provides a superb list of information sources used by researchers in various disciplines and will be helpful to librarians, whether or not they are working in a VRE. Chapters Five through Eight cover the foundational elements of a VRE such as the architecture it is built upon, grid computing resources, collaboration tools, and authentication and security issues. These chapters are most useful to readers with a strong networking and computer systems background. Chapter Nine, “Desktop environments and the web,” describes the components necessary for the end-user VRE experience. Sakai, an open-source online collaborative learning environment (similar to the commercial products WebCT® and Blackboard®) is detailed in Chapter Ten. The author has worked extensively on the implementation of Sakai across all parts of the research lifecycle. URLs of demonstration projects using Sakai are noted throughout the text. Helpful features include two extended examples (Chapters 11 and 12) describing “e-infrastructure” for research: one for the social sciences and one for an experimental science facility. Appendices include a list of e-research portals and gateways, information on eresearch tools and services, and a glossary of terms and acronyms used in the text. While the subject matter of this volume is highly technical, Allan's writing style is accessible and approachable. Virtual Research Environments provides a thorough introduction to understanding, implementing, and using e-research. Science librarians in particular would benefit from reading this volume. It provides an overview to the virtual environments in which their faculty and students are conducting and disseminating research, and it points out opportunities where library resources and services can be included to facilitate the research process.—Lee Andrew Hilyer, Program Director for Research and Reference Services, University of Houston Libraries, Houston, TX 77204-2000, USA [email protected]. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2010.01.014
Wikipedia: A New Community of Practice?, by Dan O'Sullivan. Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2009. 191p. $79.95. ISBN 978-0-75467433-7. Since its inception in 2001, Wikipedia has rapidly taken over the ready reference role which standard print encyclopedias long held. What sets it apart, and makes it a target of criticism, is that articles are
written and edited by a wide range of contributors, many anonymous, many with unknown expertise. Even so, Wikipedia articles can compare favorably with Encyclopaedia Britannica's. How does that happen in Wikipedia? Dan O'Sullivan provides historical context for the Wikipedia phenomenon by providing examples of similar past group projects. These earlier “communities of practice” are the Library of Alexandria, the Royal Society of London, the Encyclopaedia of Diderot, the Oxford English Dictionary, and the Left Book Club, selected as mainly nonhierarchical groups that created non-linear texts (p. 2). He reviews each group's aims, social composition and interaction, transaction costs, and relations with the public. Using these same criteria, O'Sullivan then critiques Wikipedia, acknowledging the Web changes the landscape for social interaction, information dissemination, and knowledge creation. Wikipedia is as much a community as a product (p. 74) and like other social media, it promotes and facilitates collaboration, minimizing barriers that the earlier groups faced. Moreover, Wikipedia highlights issues such as the nature of knowledge and truth, the primacy of expertise, and individual authorship. The book sometimes takes the position that all knowledge is relative and provisional, and therefore the “wisdom of crowds” (p. 126) will reach consensus regarding the best presentation of truth and Wikipedia's objective of a “neutral point of view.” O'Sullivan argues that the strength of Wikipedia is in the “History” and “Discussion” pages that underlie the project. The history and discussion of edits is readily available to authors, editors, and readers alike in real time, thus mitigating problems with tampering, inaccuracies, and bad grammar. Conventional publishing hides these activities from public view, and although professional editing and the reputation of the author and publisher lend weight to the trustworthiness of a work, bias and mistakes may be less apparent to the reader than in Wikipedia. Also, Wikipedia has instituted additional safeguards, both technological and human, to overcome some of the dangers. The final section is more practical: using the features of Wikipedia, assessing the articles, and contributing to the project. Because Wikipedia encourages all to contribute to its development, O'Sullivan felt it unfair to criticize Wikipedia without encouraging others to improve it (p. 3). His example of the development of the “Great Fire of London” article at three time points from its earliest instance through 2008 demonstrates his rubric for evaluating the quality of Wikipedia articles, showing how the article improved. Close reading of the articles using this rubric would be useful in information literacy instruction. Two recent works also appraise Wikipedia as a community. The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia by Andrew Lih (Hyperion, 2009) traces the ethos of collaborative work in the pre-Web hacker community as a precursor to the Wikipedia community. Lih gives more details than O'Sullivan about the development of wiki software and Wikipedia's origins and operations. Working Within Wikipedia: Infrastructures of Knowing and Knowledge Production, a recent PhD thesis by Richard Geiger (Georgetown University, 2009), emphasizes that the technological aspects of Wikipedia enhance and strengthen the social aspects of contributing and editing. O'Sullivan's overview and analysis provide useful background for understanding Wikipedia as both reference tool and social media and the “implications of a means of knowledge dissemination, but also production, that is the most far-reaching of any in existence today.” (183) Recommended.—Sandra R. Hussey, Library Research Instruction Librarian, Lauinger Library, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057-0003, USA [email protected]. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2010.01.015
March 2010 177