Google This!: Putting Google and Other Social Media Sites to Work for Your Library

by Terry Ballard

Many libraries and museums have already adapted to the current information climate and work with Google, Facebook, Twitter and iTunes to deliver information to their users; however, many have not. In this book librarians or museum professionals interested in developing a greater web and social media presence for their institution will find a wealth of material to justify these actions to directors and administrative boards. Ballard, an award-winning author with more than 20 years' experience as an academic systems librarian, has conducted more than two dozen interviews with professionals who have created exemplary work using social media, and shows how their experiences can create success for your institution’s library. His book

Describes the variety of free (or nearly free) options for social media and shows how libraries from the Library of Congress to small public libraries are adapting them
Provides step-by-step instructions for creating iGoogle gadgets in XML, iGoogle themes, Google Maps with community locations, and Google Earth links to archived library data
Describes the full process for creating a Google Custom Search engine

The result of more than two dozen interviews with professionals who have created exemplary work using social media, Ballard shows how their experiences can create success for your institution's library.

218 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012