Table of contents: issue44

Book Review: Content and Workflow Management for Library Web Sites

editor — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Martin White welcomes the detail but is concerned at the impact that the publishing process has had on the currency and utility of the content.

As the author of three books, and about to start work on a fourth, I do begin to doubt my own sanity. Last year I wrote The Content Management Handbook in the course of around four months, and even then by the time it was published with great speed by Facet Publishing, several of the comments in the book had been overtaken by events. This is a constant concern for any author, but especially those working on high technology topics.

Book Review: The Academic Library

editor — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Ruth Jenkins wishes this textbook had been available when she was a library school student.

This is a terrific book which does exactly what it says on the cover: 'This authoritative and wide-ranging textbook provides a comprehensive overview of the changing functions of academic libraries and the organizational cultures in which they operate.' I would have really appreciated this book had it been available to me when I was doing my MA Librarianship course. It would also have helped when I started my first professional post and was initially puzzled by all the acronyms and repeated references to Ranganathan.

Book Review: Disaster Management for Libraries and Archives

editor — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Ian Lovecy looks at a useful consolidation of approaches to disaster management.

The aim of this book is ambitious: it sets out to present current professional and practical ideas on the whole range of disaster management, from the precautions which will prevent - or at least minimise - disaster, through the financial considerations, balancing of risk, and staff training needs, to the process of recovery and re-establishment of a service. It does so in an international context; and it does so based on the practical experience of the contributors.

Book Review: Managing Suppliers and Partners for the Academic Library

editor — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Tony Kidd examines this study's view of the importance of partnerships in their widest context for the modern academic library.

As someone who has been involved for longer than I care to remember in various aspects of library relationships with suppliers and other partners, and knowing David Ball of Bournemouth University to be a leading practitioner and advocate in this field, I looked forward with anticipation to working my way through this volume. Nor was I disappointed - this is a fascinating guide to current practice and developments in areas such as procurement, outsourcing, and collaboration with libraries in different sectors.