- Hardcover
- Publisher: Tandem Library (Jan 2001)
- ISBN-10: 0613918959
- ISBN-13: 978-0613918954
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- See Complete Table of Contents
The Invisible Web
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First Sentence
Most people tend to use the words "Internet" and "Web" inter-changeably, but they're not synonyms. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Most people tend to use the words "Internet" and "Web" inter-changeably, but they're not synonyms. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In a sense, there's almost no need to review this book -- if ever
there was a book that sold itself on the basis of the authors'
reputation, this is it..But I'm here to tell you that this book surpasses these elevated
expectations, mainly because it does what books do best: it provides
history, context, and lengthy explanations of the whys and wherefores.
It provides annotated descriptions of invisible web sites and
databases as well, but most importantly it takes the bits and pieces
there was a book that sold itself on the basis of the authors'
reputation, this is it..But I'm here to tell you that this book surpasses these elevated
expectations, mainly because it does what books do best: it provides
history, context, and lengthy explanations of the whys and wherefores.
It provides annotated descriptions of invisible web sites and
databases as well, but most importantly it takes the bits and pieces
of advice both men have offered in many columns, articles, and
speeches and integrates them into one seamless package.
The authors explain how search engines work and why they fail to find
answers available on the Invisible Web. They point out what we know
and our students do not: some answers are not on the web at all, or
likely ever to be; bless their hearts, they even tell readers that
sometimes the only way to get their answers is in a good library,
aided by a good librarian.
They teach readers the advantages and drawbacks of general and focused
search engines, directories, and other search tools. They explain how
to recognize when you might need an invisible web site, and ways of
finding an appropriate one.
The authors are gifted explainers who never lapse into unintelligible
jargon even when explaining the technical underpinnings of search
systems, which means that their book is just as accessible to casual
users as to information professionals; anyone teaching courses in
Internet searching or information literacy should consider using it as
a text.
Throughout the book, the authors make all their points concrete,
illustrating them with real life search problems. After they've
outlined all the basic concepts, they also offer seven case studies of
research problems, seven of them answered on the invisible web.
Significantly, the eighth is not, because the authors want us to
understand that some kinds of information simply do not exist on the
web.
After a discussion of what they think the future of search engine
technology might hold, they proceed to chapters on invisible web
resources in specific subject areas. This is where the book's web site
will come in handy, because as we all know, the web is a fickle place
and web addresses often change. For each web site they've chosen, they
explain what kinds of content can be found on it and what related web
resources are available.
In case you didn't guess, I'm suggesting you buy the book and read it.
Even if you're already a proficient searcher, I guarantee you'll be
more so by the time you finish.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have read this book and found it as an interesting source about the hidden side of the Web. This is the only comprehensive published book about the Invisible Web, which I have come across so far.
While a considerable amount of the web-based information is hidden under the shade of the Invisible Web, the issue of invisibility has remained still invisible in the majority of related literature. On the other hand, the Invisible Web is a considerable factor, which reduces the information accessibility on the online environment. Consequently, publishing a book dedicating to this subject is remarkable and is useful for the Internet users.
As the title of the book shows clearly, its main theme is about invisible web or the part of the Web, which is not accessible through the general-purpose search engines. The book is divided into two major parts including: Revealing the Invisible Web in eight chapters and The Invisible Web Directory in nineteen chapters.
In the beginning chapters, it provides the reader with concise but very useful information about the Internet and Web in general and various kinds of search tools in particular. Information seeking on the visible Web and specialised search tools are two profound chapters of the book introducing the mechanism and associated issues of general-purpose search engines and some other existing search facilities on the Web.
Then the book explains what is the concept of invisibility on the Web and why it exists. It follows by illustrating four different kinds of invisibility. It also takes a look to the future of this area by mentioning some topics such as smarter crawlers and delving into databases.
The second part of the book provides the reader with a directory of Invisible Web categorised by subject.
In general, I believe that it is a useful source in this issue and appropriate for anybody who is interested to be familiar with the invisible Web and uses the invisible resources on the Web.
While a considerable amount of the web-based information is hidden under the shade of the Invisible Web, the issue of invisibility has remained still invisible in the majority of related literature. On the other hand, the Invisible Web is a considerable factor, which reduces the information accessibility on the online environment. Consequently, publishing a book dedicating to this subject is remarkable and is useful for the Internet users.
As the title of the book shows clearly, its main theme is about invisible web or the part of the Web, which is not accessible through the general-purpose search engines. The book is divided into two major parts including: Revealing the Invisible Web in eight chapters and The Invisible Web Directory in nineteen chapters.
In the beginning chapters, it provides the reader with concise but very useful information about the Internet and Web in general and various kinds of search tools in particular. Information seeking on the visible Web and specialised search tools are two profound chapters of the book introducing the mechanism and associated issues of general-purpose search engines and some other existing search facilities on the Web.
Then the book explains what is the concept of invisibility on the Web and why it exists. It follows by illustrating four different kinds of invisibility. It also takes a look to the future of this area by mentioning some topics such as smarter crawlers and delving into databases.
The second part of the book provides the reader with a directory of Invisible Web categorised by subject.
In general, I believe that it is a useful source in this issue and appropriate for anybody who is interested to be familiar with the invisible Web and uses the invisible resources on the Web.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
12 reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Excellent instruction for librarians . . .
12 Jun 2003
Format:Paperback
I retired five years ago after thirty years in a very large public library system, and recently found it necessary to return to the trenches for awhile, in a rather smaller system. In that half-decade, of course, the Internet changed drastically and, even though I'm constantly online and intimately familiar with the major search engines (and many of the minor ones), there was a large number of new reference information sources with which I was not at all familiar. So I went looking for professional tools to remedy my ignorance. This is the first book I've seen in the publisher's "CyberAge" series, and medthodologically, it's quite good. As others have noted, the static nature of print-on-paper means rapidly outdated material, but Sherman and Price show you how to attack the problem, so, even though I came across several (unfortunately) extinct databases, I was able to locate several new ones, too. This is a terrific instructional work for reference librarians, and the accompanying web site is near the top of my bookmarks at work.
32 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Good source, but slowly becoming dated
1 May 2002
Format:Paperback
Its always risky to buy a web guide, when by its own omission, half of the web sites will be dead in two years. My own use of the web addresses in the book, found a few dead, but the author's "invisible web" web site had updated links. As search engines get better the current "invisible webs" becomes more visible, and are probably replaced with a new class of invisible webs. My own recent search was able to find many of the "invisible sites" in this book, so perhaps this book is best at giving you ideas of how to search better, for example if your looking for books search for "Library of Congress". In the context of where this review is, Amazon is a great translucent source for info on books.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Packs in rich sources
11 Nov 2001
Format:Paperback
As much as eighty percent of the authoritative information accessible over the Net doesn't appear on the popular search engines: so how can individuals access databases from universities, libraries, associations, and government agencies? The Invisible Web introduces over 1,000 major information sites and provides tips on how to search them. From vital statistics to public records and academic collections, The Invisible Web packs in rich sources.
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