Semantic Web Technologies And Social Searching For Librarians

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 M. Fay and Michael P. Sauers show you how to use tools that will awe your users with your new searching skills.

Libraries have always been an inspiration for the standards and technologies developed by semantic web activities. However, except for the Dublin Core specification, semantic web and social networking technologies have not been widely adopted and further developed by major digital library initiatives and projects. Yet semantic technologies offer a new level of flexibility, interoperability, and relationships for digital repositories. Kruk and McDaniel present semantic web-related aspects of current digital library activities, and introduce their functionality; they show examples ranging from general architectural descriptions to detailed usages of specific ontologies, and thus stimulate the awareness of researchers, engineers, and potential users of those technologies. Their presentation is completed by chapters on existing prototype systems such as JeromeDL, BRICKS, and Greenstone, as well as a look into the possible future of semantic digital libraries. This book is aimed at researchers and graduate students in areas like digital libraries, the semantic web, social networks, and information retrieval. This audience will benefit from detailed descriptions of both today’s possibilities and also the shortcomings of applying semantic web technologies to large digital repositories of often unstructured data.

As we come to appreciate the opportunities that social media opens up, this practical guide provides a scalable, step-by-step plan for creating and maintaining a successful library social media strategic plan. You'll find detailed tips and advice on strategizing for social media services in a way that guides employee decision-making, maximizes efficiency, creates positive patron outcomes, protects against legal repercussions, and builds opportunities for flexibility, change, and new social media platform testing. Author Sarah Steiner guides you through the key steps to build your strategic plan, including how to segment your audience, select a target audience, use focus groups and poll patrons, conduct a SWOT analysis to provide internal strength and support to your plan, and create a mission and vision plan for using social media.

Drupal is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) that many libraries use to create well-designed, easy-to-use and manage websites. Ken Varnum guides you step by step through the decisions and tasks needed to develop and launch a Drupal-powered site and learn the advantages of the open source approach. The book offers hints and suggestions to work with your IT department, colleagues, and management as you develop your technical specifications. The implementation chapter guides you through installing Drupal, adding modules, developing your own themes (page layouts), and describes librarian created modules that have been shared with the community and can be downloaded and installed on anyone's site. You also get advice on marketing your site, best practices for project management and development, and measuring the success and impact of the site once it launches.

No.17 in The Tech Set. Create engaging library training with instructional videos that demonstrate how to use software, databases, search engines or even your OPAC.

"Provides the practical information and 'real world' advice required to take full advantage of what cloud computing can provide." --Midwest Book Review

A complete guide to the process of planning, developing, and launching mobile library applications.

The go-to resource for straightforward instruction on using Foursquare, Facebook Places, Gowalla, Bizzy, Google Wallet, augmented reality programs, and QR codes in your library! The book guides you through each step in the implementation process, giving you the information you need to successfully use location aware technologies in library environments. It covers how to create a Foursquare campaign and use it to enhance staff training, use Facebook Places to connect with patrons, create an augmented reality program, create a QR code campaign, create a Gowalla marketing initiative, implement a mobile payment service with Google Wallet and Near Field communication. Once you learn these location-based services and applications, you can meet your mobile user's digital-age needs successfully.