Computer Media

By Rachel Singer Gordon -- Library Journal, 4/15/2008 9:28:00 AM

C Programming
C is still often taught as a beginning programming language; medium and larger libraries should contain a couple of current guides.

Lecky-Thompson, Guy W. Just Enough C/C++ Programming. Course Technology: Cengage Learning. 2007. c.378p. ISBN 978-1-59863-468-6. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
This book aims to provide beginners with the basic tools to begin programming real-world applications as quickly as possible, focusing mainly on C with some discussion of the parts of C++ that are useful as an extension of C. Readers will find particularly helpful the explanations of the differences between C and C++ and the explanation of procedural programming and of how C and C++ programs are structured. Click here for source code. A useful addition.

Vine, Michael. C Programming for the Absolute Beginner. 2d ed. Course Technology: Cengage Learning. 2007. c.317p. ISBN 978-1-59863-480-8. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
This beginner’s guide assumes no previous C or programming knowledge, which makes it a good choice for public libraries. Incredibly clear instructions and useful definitions help readers get up to speed with the language, while explanations of common errors assist them in realizing where they may go wrong, chapter summaries and challenges aid in self-study, and simple programs illustrate concepts. Click here for source code. Highly recommended.

Computer Basics
Public libraries continue to serve new computer users and those with underlying fears about the whole process, so be sure to invest in updated nonthreatening guides for beginners (see Computer Media, LJ 6/15/07).

McFedries, Paul. Teach Yourself Visually: Computers. 5th ed. Wiley. 2007. c.307p. ISBN 978-0-470-16878-3. pap. $24.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
For beginners and visual learners, this full-color guide is heavy on graphics and light on text. Using clear, friendly language, it defines common terms and functions. Its extremely basic coverage of everything from Windows Vista and Mac OS X to laptops, using the Web, security, and maintenance results in a great all-in-one beginners’ guide for any public library. Supplement with more thorough guides as demand warrants.

Microsoft Windows
Demand for guides to Vista, the most current version of Microsoft Windows (see Computer Media, LJ 12/07), should continue to rise as more users upgrade and purchase new PCs.

Abbate, Andrew & others. Microsoft Windows Vista: Management and Administration. SAMS. 2007. c.658p. ISBN 978-0-672-32961-6. pap. $39.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
For IT personnel, this guide to Vista management and administration helps smooth the upgrade process and get administrators going with the newest Windows version in their organization. Because of its target audience, the text maintains a focus on administrative topics such as security, performance optimization, mobility, backup and recovery, management, deploying Vista, and Active Directory. Especially useful to upgraders, this clear and comprehensive guide is recommended for larger libraries.

Bruzzese, J. Peter. Microsoft Windows Vista: Mastering the Vista User Experience. QUE: Pearson. 2007. c.118p. ISBN 978-0-7897-3778-6. $39.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
This is a DVD with a small printed guide that outlines what’s covered in the video lessons, not a book with a DVD. Eight hours of short (many around five-minute) screencasts walk viewers through getting started with Vista’s key features, from the new Aero interface to using built-in security tools. Bruzzese combines clear and nicely timed narration with step-by-step instructions to get new users and upgraders up and running. Good introductory DVDs on popular topics like Microsoft Windows are hard to find, so this one is highly recommended for public libraries.

Gralla, Preston. Windows Vista in a Nutshell. O'Reilly. 2007. c.732p. ISBN 978-0-596-52707-5. pap. $34.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
This thorough reference to Vista will be most useful for intermediate to advanced home and small business users, covering topics from changes in the OS, to using the Vista command prompt, to setting up and troubleshooting home and small office networks. Appendixes on installation, common filename extensions, and services are useful references; a chapter on the registry demystifies an often confusing subject; coverage of performance and troubleshooting is thorough; and straightforward how-tos outline every major Vista topic. Click here for the companion site. Recommended for medium and larger libraries.

McFedries, Paul. Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista: Your Guide to Easy and Secure Windows Vista Networking. QUE: Pearson. 2007. c.532p. ISBN 978-0-7897-3777-9. pap. $39.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
For home and small business users new to networking, this beginner’s guide shows how to create, configure, administer, and use a small Vista network. A welcome focus on security helps users secure the OS, small networks, and wireless connections, while specific sections on popular topics (adding an Xbox 360, recording TV shows to a network share) will be particularly useful for home users and sections on topics like collaborating with Windows Meeting Space will be useful for small businesses. A solid purchase for medium and larger public libraries.

Online Life
As we spend more and more of our lives online, guides to various aspects of online life continue to proliferate (see Computer Media, LJ 9/15/07). Here, find a range of possibilities for your library.

Beal, Andy & Judy Strauss. Radically Transparent: Monitoring and Managing Reputations Online. Sybex: Wiley. 2008. c.378p. ISBN 978-0-470-19082-1. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
We hear a lot about privacy and protecting our individual reputations online, but this title addresses how companies, brands, and individuals can capitalize on transparency and social media to build their reputations in a networked world. It also presents ways to monitor what the Internet says about them. In an environment where anyone can post a comment, photo, or video at any time—and have it accessible to the entire world—companies need to know the right way to respond and how to build their own positive reputations online. The text thoroughly covers public relations, search engine optimization, research, and online content creation, showing how to use these tools across multiple media and illustrating points with plentiful real world examples. Highly recommended for larger libraries.

Broughton, John. Wikipedia: The Missing Manual. O'Reilly. 2008. c.477p. ISBN 978-0-596-51516-4. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Love it or hate it, Wikipedia has become the go-to place for basic information for everyone from college students to librarians. This entry in the series targets those wanting to contribute their own input, articles, and edits. Best for beginning and intermediate Wikipedia editors, it covers everything from getting started with wiki markup, to tips and tools for easier edits, to staying abreast of Wikipedia’s rules and standards. Most useful in outlining both the written and the unwritten norms of editing and adding, the book will help anyone become involved in the Wikipedia community while avoiding common newbie blunders. Recommended for larger public libraries.

Boles, David W. Google Apps Administrator Guide. Course Technology: Cengage Learning. 2007. c.240p. ISBN 978-1-59863-451-8. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
The four editions of Google Apps—education, standard, Premier, and nonprofit—move everyday work online, incorporating email, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, chat, calendar, and other applications into a collaborative, platform-independent web interface. This guide for domain administrators covers getting your domain online, setting up, and administering a Google Apps domain. Using Google Apps under your own domain allows you to have a private label (branded) homepage, email, blog, and other applications for your users, whether those be employees or family members. This straightforward guide walks even the newest administrator through the potentially confusing process of choosing a Google Apps flavor and configuring and managing a domain. Click here for bonus chapters. Extremely useful, very clear, and an excellent choice for larger libraries.

Digital Culture, Play, and Identity: A World of Warcraft Reader. MIT. 2008. c.294p. ed. by Hilde G. Corneliussen & Jill Walker Rettberg. ISBN 978-0-262-03370-1. pap. $29.95. COMPUTER BOOKS
World of Warcraft (WoW), the most popular, massive multiplayer online game, is a universe unto itself, with its own rules, culture, and customs. This collection features insights from researchers who have immersed themselves in this environment and who analyze WoW using diverse methodologies and theories ranging from gender studies to postcolonialism. The scholarly study of computer games and the intersection of virtual worlds with education are both burgeoning fields; academic libraries can consider purchasing.

Feiler, Jesse. How To Do Everything with Facebook Applications. Osborne/McGraw-Hill. 2008. c.330p. ISBN 978-0-07-154967-7. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Facebook, one of the top social networking sites, allows outside developers to create "apps" that function on the Facebook Platform—some of which become incredibly popular among Facebook useres. This book focuses on using PHP and MySQL with FBML (Facebook Markup Language) to develop unique apps, integrate them into your own site or blog, and use them to sell products or market your organization. The book’s own Facebook page provides updates, discussions, video, and more; download source code here. Best for intermediate developers wishing to port their skills to the Facebook environment; for larger libraries.

Lindsell-Roberts, Sheryl. 135 Tips on Email and Instant Messages: Plus Blogs, Chatrooms, and Texting. Houghton. 2008. c.136p. ISBN 978-0-618-94258-9. pap. $7.95. COMPUTER BOOKS
This teeny guide to online communication focuses on "netiquette" and best practices for busy businesspeople, covering everything from crafting a compelling subject line to creating a suitable signature. The bulk of the title discusses email, with some attention to IM (including suggestions on safety and etiquette as well as a guide to common abbreviations and emoticons) and text messages, blogs, and chatrooms (etiquette and marketing). A useful purchase for all public libraries; update outdated guides to online communication and netiquette.

Web Optimization, Usability, and Accessibility
Online marketing (see Computer Media, LJ 11/15/07) intersects with subjects like optimization, usability (see Computer Media, LJ 11/15/06), and accessibility; as the web becomes more integral to more and more businesses, medium and larger public libraries should own guides to these topics.

Ash, Tim. Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions. Sybex: Wiley. 2008. c.360p. ISBN 978-0-470-17462-3. pap. $29.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
A key component of Internet marketing, landing-page optimization tries to optimize response rates from the pages on your site that visitors "land" on, influencing their actions through site design. From identifying mission-critical site content through testing conversion rates, this book shows designers and marketers how to fine-tune their sites to match the needs of their audience and increase conversions. An appendix covers using the free Google Website Optimizer, the companion site has additional resources, and the focus on thorough testing and real-world examples make this title stand out. Thorough, useful content; a highly recommended guide for larger libraries.

Butow, Eric. User Interface Design for Mere Mortals. Addison-Wesley. 2007. c.286p. ISBN 978-0-321-44773-9. pap. $49.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
Focusing on platform-independent principles of user interface design, this textbook-like guide for beginners tries to encourage independent learning with chapter review questions and summaries. Chapters on making the business case for usable design and analyzing users may be useful, but overall content is somewhat basic, dry, and repetitive, while the platform-independent approach results in a mishmash of examples and instructions that lacks focus. Not recommended; more useful and usable guides are plentiful.

Ford, Jerry Lee & William R. Stanek. Increase Your Web Traffic in a Weekend. 5th ed. Course Technology: Cengage Learning. c.352p. ISBN 978-1-59863-482-2. pap. $24.99. COMPUTER BOOKS
"If you build it, they will come" may work in the movies, but not so often on the Web. This book aims to resolve this issue by giving readers a quick and low-cost plan to increase their audience and their reach. Most traffic-building suggestions are free; others require very minimal investment. Topics range from search engine optimization to analyzing server statistics and using advertising effectively. While readers may need more than a weekend to implement these methods thoroughly, the content is solid, the tone is enthusiastic, and the techniques are appropriate for beginners. For public libraries.

Sydik, Jeremy J. Design Accessible Web Sites: Thirty-Six Keys to Creating Content for All Audiences and Platforms. Pragmatic Bookshelf. 2007. c.318p. ISBN 978-1-934356-02-9. pap. $34.95. COMPUTER BOOKS
Accessibility means designing your content to be reachable by as many users as possible, including those with disabilities; those accessing your web site with PDAs, game consoles, and other devices; and those using various flavors of browsers. This book focuses on designing for users with disabilities (which often also inherently increases accessibility on multiple platforms). A welcome real-world, user-centered (rather than a dry compliance-centered) focus shows how to design from the user’s perspective, while standards and guidelines are addressed in a concluding section. Comprehensive coverage ranges from why be accessible; to making image, video, audio, and PDF files more accessible; to creating an accessible interface. Thorough, useful, and clear, this guide is a great choice for medium and larger public libraries.