Semantic Web Technologies and Social Searching for Librarians By Robin Fay and Michael Sauers.
I don’t remember recommending a no buy on any book on this blog, particularly one I haven’t read, but there is a first time for everything.
Yes, I haven’t read the book because it isn’t available yet.
How do I know to recommend no buy on Robin Fay and Michael Sauers’ “Semantic Web Technologies and Social Searching for Librarians”?
Let’s look at the evidence, starting with the overview:
There are trillions of bytes of information within the web, all of it driven by behind-the-scenes data. Vast quantities of information make it hard to find what’s really important. Here’s a practical guide to the future of web-based technology, especially search. It provides the knowledge and skills necessary to implement semantic web technology. You’ll learn how to start and track trends using social media, find hidden content online, and search for reusable online content, crucial skills for those looking to be better searchers. The authors explain how to explore data and statistics through WolframAlpha, create searchable metadata in Flickr, and give meaning to data and information on the web with Google’s Rich Snippets. Let Robin Fay and Michael Sauers show you how to use tools that will awe your users with your new searching skills.
So, having read this book, you will know:
- the future of web-based technology, especially search
- [the] knowledge and skills necessary to implement semantic web technology
- [how to] start and track trends using social media
- [how to] find hidden content online
- [how to] search for reusable online content
- [how to] explore data and statistics through WolframAlpha
- [how to] create searchable metadata in Flickr
- [how to] give meaning to data and information on the web with Google’s Rich Snippets
The other facts you need to consider?
6 x 9 | 125 pp. | $59.95
So, in 125 pages, call it 105, allowing for title page, table of contents and some sort of index, you are going to learn all those skills?
For about the same amount of money, you can get a copy of Modern information retrieval : the concepts and technology behind search by Ricardo Baeza-Yates; Berthier Ribeiro-Neto, which covers only search in 944 pages.
I read a lot of discussion about teaching students to critically evaluate information that they read on the WWW.
Any institution that buys this book needs to implement critical evaluation of information training for its staff/faculty.