"I certainly never write a review about a book I don't think worth reviewing, a flat-out bad book, unless it's an enormously fashionable bad book." --
says, John Gardner in Conversations with John Gardner
Quoted from 'Dictionary of Library and Information Science Quotations'     Edited by Mohamed Taher & L S Ramaiah. ISBN: 8185689423 (New Delhi , Aditya, 1994) p.150. Available @ Amazon.com

Monday, February 18, 2013

Reviewing website: Best Practices

Here is a best practice approach in evaluating Website:

  • Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology ( WCAG-EM ) @ W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Draft 7 February 2013
    Application of this Methodology
    The methodology defined by this document is flexible to allow its implementation in different situations and contexts. It is not required to carry out any of the steps and activities defined by this methodology in any particular sequence. For proper application of this methodology, use all the following Methodology Requirements:
    1: Define the Evaluation Scope
    2: Explore the Target Website
    3: Select a Representative Sample
    4: Audit the Selected Sample
    5: Report the Evaluation Findings
    Results, reports, accessibility statements, and performance scores can only be claimed to be in accordance with this methodology when the evaluation carried out meets these Methodology Requirements.
    See also Google's approach
    See also: Other best practices, worth visualizing:
  • Visual Appeal


  • What or Personality
  • Where or Design & Layout
  • How or Reader Usability
  • Why or Functionality


  • Meeting browser / visitor expectations, Adapted from: graphic-design.com
  • When or Interactive Features (dynamic not static)
  • Which or Content (and context)
  • Why or Layout (and site plan),Adapted from: Yellow Bridge Interactive's Checklist
  • How to use the Website
  •  Website of the Month guidelines ACRL
  • 2013 Annual Website Review Checklist (with metrics to measure web sights)
  • Website Title, Website URL, Category to which it belongs (using a self designed or Library of Congress categories)
    Overall Rating:
    5 star- This website is really good! It doesn't need any changes.
    4 star- The website is good. I would only change a few things.
    3 star- The website is okay. It could use some major changes.
    2 star- The website is bad. It needs a lot of improvement to be good.
    1 star- The website is awful. I will never visit it again.
    Adapted from: Review A Website | SmartGirl Suggests


  • Sunday, February 17, 2013

    How to Review a Book

    A review is basically both a description and a critical evaluation of a book. It should focus on the  purpose (audience)  scope( coverage & /or limitations, i.e. what it does not cover), contents (and context), authority (author and publisher), critical evaluationn (strength, weekness) and value (commend or don't commend).

    For Further Reading:

  • Queen's UniversityHow to Write Book Reviews
  • AcqWeb
  • Bookwire:This book industry website provides links to several major review publications, including Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, The Book Report (from AOL), the Boston Book Review, and others.
  • Booklist: Published by the American Library Assocaiation, Booklist is a great source for brief reviews of current publications. Reviews from 1995 to the present available on the site, indexed by date, author, and genre
  • How to Write a Book Review - Los Angeles Valley College
  • How to Review a Book
  • How to Write a History Book Review | Department of History, The University of Iowa
  • How To Find A Book Review
  • How to Write a Critical Book Review


  • Sunday, February 10, 2013

    The five laws of library science: In Ranganathan's Day & In Today's World


    What is the role of libraries in physical (as yesterday) / virtual access (as today), according to the implied meaning of Dr. S R Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science (wherein 'book' is to be considered as information in any form and medium)? Here, is a chart adapted from: “Do digital libraries violate the Third Law? ” By Michle V. Cloonan & John G. Dove -- Library Journal, 04/01/2005

    The Five Laws
    Book Shelf (Physical Library) as in Ranganathan's Day
    Hybrid Library (Physical and Virtual combo)
    Virtual Shelf (Digital Libary) as today
    I. Books are for use
    Open the doors / shelf (no locks; except rare/special books)
    Ask a Ranganathan scholar / expert (for lead send an email)
    Open the gateways (reduce hurdles / limit the restrictions to access)
    II. Every reader, his book
    Every reader in the library must search/find and get his/her book

    Every reader even outside the library must be able to search/find and access his/her book
    III. Every book, its reader
    Reach out the un-reached via marketing, publicity and out reach

    Reach out the un-reached via marketing, publicity and out reach
    IV. Save the time of the reader
    Don’t waste the time of the reader; save the time by creating current awareness service and bibliographies

    Don’t waste the time of the reader; save the time by creating current awareness service, such as RSS, social media alerts, and canned (microwaved) bibliographies
    V. A library is a growing organism
    Have a short term and long term plan for expansion in every physical way

    Have a short term and long term plan for expansion in every virtual way


    Classifying The Canadian Writer's Market by Professions

    The Canadian Writer's Market, 19th Edition: The Essential Guide for Freelance Writers
    Heidi Waechtler

    What is good about this guide is the classification of (periodicals in chapter one) and categorization (business / professions in chapter three), listed below.

    The types of users could be freelance writers, or librarians or others. Interestingly, one blog states: "Sandra McKee at the Thessalon Library ordered the Canadian Writers’ Market, and I’ll be going through it this week with an eye to agents and publishers." Is the guide ready for any type of users? You can guess.

    The Canadian Writer's Market needs a detailed indexing of the content. An index of a printed 'reference tool as a guide' basically has to accommodate needs of every type of audience--be it from known or unknown background of writer's, publishers, printers, etc. One finds in the guide only one type of navigational tool, viz. index of periodicals (i.e., Indexing Consumer, Literary, & Scholarly Magazines). A detailed analysis for an exhaustive index, will be made available upon request from this reviewer.

    A 14th edition's reviewer had pointed another concern: "Fundamentally The Canadian Writer's Market is a near-complete list of Canada's magazine, periodical, newspaper, and book publishers. (There are omissions. Where, for example, are Geist, B&A, Gutter Press, Coach House Books, and Malcolm Lester Books?)." --source: Tooze, Sandra, and Shaun (R E. V. I. E. W. E. R. ). Smith. "[the Canadian Writers' Market: The Essential Guide for Freelance Writers. 14th Ed]." Quill & Quire 66.6 (2000): 42-. CBCA Complete; CBCA Reference & Current Events. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.

    As for the 19th edition, except for Coach House Books, none others are visible to a browser. How does one find. You can imagine.

    The Table of Contents' gives an overview of the categorization by chapters in the guide:
    1. Consumer Magazines
    2. Literary & Scholarly Publications
    3. Trade, Business, Farm, & Professional Publications
    4. Daily Newspapers
    5. Book Publishers
    6. Literary Agents
    7. Writing Awards & Competitions
    8. Provincial & Federal Writer Support Program
    9. Professional Development
    10. Writers' Organizations & Support Agencies
    11. Resources

    Given below are the sub-categories of the Chapter One and Chapter Three (only these two chapters find detailed listing in the Table of Contents):
    Chapter One, Consumer Magazines
    • Arts & Cultural
    • Business
    • City & Entertainment
    • The Environment
    • Feminist
    • General Interest
    • Home & Hobby
    • Lifestyle
    • News, Opinions, & Issues
    • Special Interest
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Travel & Tourism
    • Women's
    • Youth & Children's    
    Chapter Three, Trade, Business, Farm, & Professional Publications:
    • Advertising, Marketing, & Sales
    • Architecture, Building, Engineering, & Heavy Construction
    • Automotive (see also Transportation & Cargo)
    • Aviation & Aerospace
    • Business, Commerce, Banking, Law, Insurance, & Pensions
    • Computers & Data Processing
    • Education & School Management
    • Electronics & Electrical
    • Energy, Mining, Forestry, Lumber, Pulp & Paper, & Fisheries
    • Environmental Science & Management
    • Farming
    • Food, Drink, Hostelry, & Hotel & Restaurant Supplies
    • Health, Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, & Nursing
    • Industrial
    • Landscaping & Horticulture
    • Media, Music, & Communications
    • Miscellaneous Trade & Professional
    • Printing & Photography
    • Science
    • Transportation & Cargo
    • Travel
    On the same shelf:

    Links to various Canadian small press book fairs, info courtesy: (Canadian) small press book fairs:

    Saturday, February 09, 2013

    Book Review Template -- Avoid the scams, bad business practices, etc.

     Need a review: Ask me, don't ask Google

    SAMPLE:

    Author: Mohamed Taher
    ISBN: 0986610607
    Publisher: Akbani Informatics
    Year: 2010
    Genre/Category: Social Science
    Format: ONE (descriptive) Author:
    Title:
    ISBN:
    Publisher:
    Year:
    Genre/Category:
    Rating: 1 star = Best (Awesome); 2 stars = OK (neutral, neither good nor bad); 3 stars = WORST (Awful)
    Summary:

  • This is about (purpose, scope and limitations)
  • The best part is (content / style / design / user friendly)
  • I recommend / do not recommend (explain why)

  • Format: TWO (Annotated / Critical / Analytical) Author:
    Title:
    ISBN:
    Publisher:
    Year:
    Genre/Category (pick one: Miscellany, Literature, Biography, History, Entertainment, Social Science, Science, Technology, Religion, Philosophy, Arts, Language):
    Rating:
    Summary with annotation:
    CELEBRITY FACET (charisma):
    Going Clear (e.g., this is a mover and shaker):
    Beyond Belief (e.g., this is really amazing):
    OBJECTIVITY (BIAS/SCOPE):
    Going Clear (e.g., the author tends to lean towards...):
    Beyond Belief (e.g, ideally speaking this is creative visualization):
    RECOMMEND :
    I recommend / I do not (explain why)
    Info Courtesy: Sara Nelson @ omnivoracious.com +

    On the same shelf:

  • Amazon.com controversies - Wikipedia
  • All-a-do-about Amazon's Marketing
  • Fake Reviews: Amazon's Rotten Core - Forbes
  • Book Review Scam -- source: http://adamjwhitlatch.com/bye-bye-jerry/
  • Alyce's blog: My Ratings Guide
  • Why 90% of Authors Sell Less Than 50 Copies of their Book…
  • SEE more @ Google