The authors have produced a very useful guide to information sources and services available on the Web, which examines not only the tools and techniques required to search and retrieve information, but also describes the features of such tools, as well as the characteristics of Web‐based reference and information services.
The layout reflects the thoroughness of the authors’ approach, which begins with a basic introduction to the technology that governs the Web, including the hypertext markup language (HTML), followed by the search techniques users need to learn to become competent. How do search engines work? This book lists the features of ten of them and compares differences in the search and retrieval features of search and meta‐search engines.
In contrast, Web directories are humanly compiled but do the same job as search engines. The key difference is the structure of the directory, which organises Web information resources into a hierarchy for browsing, whereas a search engine creates an index of terms extracted from Web pages, and users are required to search the index to find Web pages matching search terms or phrases. Although Web directories can be useful tools for inexperienced users, they are difficult to use, as categories and sub‐categories across directories are not standardised.
Chapter 5 deals with subject gateways, which are online libraries containing links and pages on a variety of categorized topics. They are also known as virtual libraries, gateways, digital collections and cyber libraries. The features of seven subject gateways illustrate the more stringent selection and evaluation criteria that library and information professionals apply in their creation.
Reference and information services, as well as electronic journals, are dealt with in Chapters 6 and 7. These facilities are available to end‐users who have direct access to information on specific topics from their desk. They are easy to deliver in terms of time and space, but pose different types of access and collection management problems. To become effective users need to be skilled in information search and retrieval processes.
Digital libraries vary in size, nature, content, services and searchability. They are an organisational resource that includes: specialized staff to select, structure, and offer intellectual access; to interpret, distribute, preserve the integrity of and ensure the persistence over time of collections of digital works, that are readily and economically available for use by a defined community. Information ranges from text to numerical data, figures, photographs, maps, and slides, to music, video and films. The basic characteristics and features of six of these are described. The final chapter deals with issues and trends, and summarises the latest developments. Students of library and information science, practising information professionals, and end‐users, should find this volume invaluable for exploring the Web.
