Neal-Schuman Publishers

ISBN: 9781555706142

Published: February 19, 2008 6 x 9 | 200 pp. | $75.00

5/10/2010: Some additional reviews of my book:

 Ellyssa Kroski does a superb job of introducing new technologies and concepts in understandable language, and then demonstrating their use in multiple capacities... An exceptional reference source that is engaging and easy to read. It is highly recommended reading for all librarians, and for all public and academic library collections.
-- Catholic Library World, June 2009

A competent and detailed introduction to social software...accessible to beginners, it has enough detail to inform experts in this topic as well....a helpful resource for librarians....I would recommend it for libraries' professional collections.
-- Public Services Quarterly, 2009

Web 2.0 for Librarians and Information Professionals answers three basic questions - what is it, why is it important, and how it can work for you...Kroski covers all of these in her extensive work, while focusing on the general nature of the tools of Web 2.0 rather than on specific services...A welcome addition to any libraries professional collection.
-- ARBA, March 2009

Ellyssa Kroski explains Web 2.0 technologies in an accessible, thorough manner...Beginners as well as more experienced users of these technologies will benefit from this book...useful to those professional (public, academic, special, and school librarians) who want to explore these tools as well as for those who want to implement them on a small or large scale in their organizations.
-- Colorado Association of Libraries, July 2008

The author does a good job of covering the major types of tools, including some less-often discussed types...this book is a good introduction to 2.0 technologies and their uses in libraries.
-- Journal of the Medical Library Association, January 2009

12/2008: I've found some other reviews and further coverage of my book in various publications/websites:

American Libraries August 2008 Volume 39, Issue 7 "Never Too Much 2.0: We’ve seen lots of books lately on Library 2.0. Ellyssa Kroski’s handy Web 2.0 for Librarians and Information Professionals stands out because it surveys almost every current library manifestation of cutting-edge, participatory technology— not just wikis and blogs, but also newsreaders, bookmarking, photo and video sharing, social cataloging, social networking, answers services, vertical search engines, virtual worlds, mashups, and more. Besides describing each technology, Kroski explains how and why libraries are using it, and provides plenty of examples and applications. Each chapter offers a list of “Best Practices” to keep in mind when adopting, or thinking about adopting, one of these new tools."

C&RL News, July/August 2008 Vol. 69, No. 4 "a nicely organized compendium of online social tools with specific examples of how they are used by public, academic, and school libraries. Each chapter covers a different type of technology (from wikis and blogs to answers technology, virtual worlds, and mashups) and offers a set of best practices on how to make the most of it. Numerous screen shots and charts aid make this much more than just a list of resources."

Computers in Libraries, May 2008 Volume 28, Number 5 "This work is geared toward public, school, and academic librarians who are interested in how Web 2.0 technologies can apply to their profession. Using real-world examples, Kroski illustrates how librarians can utilize blogs, social bookmarking, RSS feeds, and custom search engines to enhance their libraries' online presence and increase patronage."

and I was recently a featured author on LibraryThing!

5/7/08: Well, my book has been out for a couple months now and I was thrilled to see that Library Journal published a very positive review of it. Here's their take:

"Libraries know they should increase their visibility in the online community, but many are overwhelmed by the diverse choices of Web 2.0 tools. Kroski (reference, Columbia Univ.) not only clearly explains these tools but gives examples of how libraries are successfully using them. Chapters address blogs, RSS feeds and newsreaders, wikis, social bookmarking, photo sharing, social cataloging, video sharing, personalized start pages, social networking software, vertical search engines, social news, productivity tools, podcasting, and mashups. Each chapter includes screen shots (making this volume especially user friendly), explains how libraries are using these tools, and offers some "Best Practices" (tips for successfully working with Web 2.0 tools). Libraries will discover creative ways to reach out to their virtual patrons, such as displaying new titles on Flickr and podcasting story times. Also included is a limited glossary, which excludes chapter topics such as blogs, RSS, and wikis. Recommended for professional collections.—Carrie Scarr, West Fargo P.L., ND"

2/10/08: At long last, my book is due to be published in a matter of weeks. It is a primer on new Web technology made up of seventeen chapters, each addressing (at least one) different technology type, spotlighting features, library implementations, librarian adoption, software vendors, and best practices. And TONS of annotated screenshots.

I am very excited about the publication and hope that it is able to serve as a guidebook for people interested in learning about today's Web applications.

Stay tuned for news and updates!