“… the purpose of Keeping Current is to make the ‘keeping up’ process easier and less time‐consuming.” And that is certainly what the author is doing in this book.
Cohen starts by discussing how the fluidity of information provided by the Web has changed its currency. He also describes the pros and cons of print and electronic resources used to keep current in the field, and comes up with his own theory. “Steven's Theory of Currency” states that the simplest and fastest way to keep current is by making the information come to you in a compact manner by using a few simple tools.
The rest of the book deals with the tools he found useful in keeping current: news on search engines, Web site monitoring software, weblogs (or “blogs” for short) and RSS Feeds (Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication.) For example, he discusses the use of Web site monitoring software to track any changes in sites that the user has specified, and to notify them when the changes occur. Other examples, installation procedures, suggestions for resources, and pros and cons are also included.
It is a well‐written book. At less than 100 pages, the author manages to keep the content straightforward, and therefore easy to understand. The screen shot examples tell us what to expect when using the tools and resources. The information given is interesting and useful. For example, after discussing Web site monitoring tools and RSS Feeds, the author makes a comparison between the two. In addition to his useful analysis of each tool, he provides comparisons of tools of similar functionality. Also, the index page is well designed and quite thorough so readers can find a subject easily.
The author clearly invested considerable time and effort in finding good tools and resources to support his professional work. And these tools and resources are good starting points. While we can explore other resources relevant to our specific work, the author cautions us to be selective – due to the abundant resources available, it is easy to suffer from information overload.
The tools he lists are ideal for librarians who want to keep abreast of what's new in the field but don't have enough time or expertise to tinker with the technical aspects of them. These tools are particularly useful for subject specialists and reference librarians working in special libraries. A librarian whose job is specialized in other services, such as serials cataloger, conservationist or systems librarian will also find them useful. Public and academic reference librarians will probably find it a bit overwhelming to track the wide range of queries they may receive from patrons. Still, these tools will help them stay current within the library field.
As an added bonus, librarians are not the only ones who can use these tools. Anybody who wants to keep current on certain issues can also take advantage of them. The method of choosing and utilizing the tools described in this book is clear and easy to understand, both for information professionals as well as the general public.
