The stated objective of Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries is to “help you see through the buzz to determine the most useful applications” (xi) to implement in your library. The editors strive to help librarians not only understand new technology but also to learn how to use it themselves. Kathlene Hanson and H. Frank Cervone have achieved this goal by selecting authors who have concrete experience on which they have based their contributions to this text.

A major challenge of writing a book about technology is that it could easily become outdated before it even hits the press. The editors of Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries avoid this potential pitfall by selecting tried and true technologies for their focus. The book focuses on technologies that, despite being at the peak of their “hype cycles” (xi), have been tested and have lasted longer than the latest passing craze. In five chapters, this volume addresses four unique technologies: RSS (two chapters with different foci), wikis, blogs, and podcasts. Each author gives a brief introduction of the technology and goes on to describe how it might be applied in libraries. This description of applications is often based on the authors’ own experiences using the technology. The practicality of the chapters makes this book useful to any novice user of any one of the technologies addressed.

With the exception of the chapter titled “Wiki as Research Guide,” all of the chapters deal in some way with RSS feeds. For example, in “An Introduction to Podcasting,” John Iliff and Tyler Rousseau highlight that RSS feeds help make podcasts accessible. One might question whether there should have been more diversity in the selection of topics; however, RSS feeds are such a successful and ubiquitous technology that there is almost no avoiding them, and certainly no harm in addressing their use in a variety of contexts.

It might be expected that a book about using technology would be completely optimistic about the subject. That is not entirely true in this case. In “Library Blogs: The New Technology Bandwagon” the author uses a critical eye to address the potential issues of leaping into a technology trend without a full understanding of whether it will be an improvement to library service. The author describes the results of a survey he conducted at his academic institution in which students indicated their lack of understanding of and interest in RSS feeds. These survey results were the reason for his reluctance to enter into the world of blogging. The title of this chapter is somewhat misleading because it actually describes the potential for failure of library blogs while providing one possible solution. But the author’s skepticism does balance out the views of the other seemingly unwavering fans of technology featured in this text.

While the technologies addressed could be easily implemented in any library setting, the examples are from academic libraries. The inclusion of an example of a successful implementation of one of these tools in a public or special library would have rounded out the book nicely.

Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries is a slim, accessible guide to implementing four of the most popular technologies within library settings. Both librarians new to technology and those with an existing interest will find this book to be a useful addition to their technology toolkits.