First Steps on the Internet

Citation

Macleod, R. (1998), "First Steps on the Internet", Library Review, Vol. 47 No. 7, pp. 363-368. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.1998.47.7.363.4

This is the second Aurelian Information UK publication I have reviewed. After being very impressed with Howard Lake’s Direct Connection’s Guide to Fundraising on the Internet (Lake, 1996) I eagerly looked forward to reading Sandra Vogel’s work. Her book is an introduction to the Internet, and as such has a fairly tired theme, but I imagine that it is one which will run and run. Certainly, there appears to be an almost insatiable demand for introductory courses, videos, magazine articles, training sessions and books about the Internet, all in the knowledge that with any technology the first steps are the most difficult to take.

The theme of the book may be slightly tired, but Vogel’s writing style is not only fresh, but also easy to understand. Aimed mainly at office workers rather than home users, Vogel identifies many serious uses of the Internet, ranging from business expansion, market research, sales, promotion, fundraising, information retrieval, communication and information sharing, to support gathering. She answers most of the questions that novice users would ask, from the basic ones of how to fit a modem onto a computer, and how to send an e‐mail message, to more complex issues about how to make the most of the Web, how to use the Web to search the messages sent to UseNet newsgroups, and how to download from the Web. Because of the author’s background in the voluntary sector, occasional emphasis is placed on resources of interest to fund‐raisers.

Because this is a very practical book which avoids jargon and hype, and because it emphasises both the benefits and pitfalls of Internet use, and because it is written from a UK perspective in an attractive style, I would recommend it particularly to any organisation which employs people who are new to the Net, and also to Internet trainers who want to supplement their courses with printed material. It would fit well on the reference shelves of almost any library, and at £12.99 is reasonably priced.