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Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Genealogy

Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Genealogy
McClure
2000

Submitter: We’re in the midst of a big shifting project, and as I was making my way through the 920s, I came across this gem – Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Genealogy – year 2000! At some point fairly recently it had been REBOUND, so I don’t have a nice cover to show you. As the librarian in charge of the computer books in the 004s, I was appalled and immediately withdrew it, but we still have a copy in our Genealogy Reference section. Sure, there are some still relevant tips for online genealogy sources, but the information is so out-of-date, this can’t be very useful. Check out the pages that talk about how dial-up works and the handy search engines Alta Vista and Hotbot. Since our Genealogy section will also have to be downsized, I’m hoping to talk them into getting rid of their copy, too.

Holly: Hotbot! I remember that one. Just because a book has *some* useful information in it does not make it a keeper. You have to consider the book as a whole, and this one is too old to be useful. Some patrons would follow a book like this step-by-step, and then call the reference desk, frustrated, saying “the book said to go to Hotbot, but my computer doesn’t have The Hotbot! Should I install it? Can I get it on The Facebook?” I like the Complete Idiot’s Guides, but they’re not helpful to newbies on any subject if they’re this outdated.

 

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Dark Ages Social Media

cover

Connecting Online: Creating a Successful Image on the Internet
Sherwin and Avila
1997

Submitter: This is the 1997 edition and it is in a college library in [Canada].

Holly: For the love of All Things Holy, people, I am begging you to weed your computer books. Clearly, a successful online image in 2017 has literally nothing to do with anything pictured on the cover of this book. That telephone has a rotary dial!

 

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Email Addresses of the Rich and Famous

E-mail addresses of the Rich & Famous
Godin
1994

Submitter: This is perhaps the most embarrassing offerings we’ve ever submitted to Awful Library Books, and we’ve offered up a few doozies!  An email directory from 1994?  We’ve hit a new low. I wonder if Al Gore still checks his email at vice.president@whitehouse.gov.  I wonder why the author included page 20.  The heading there reads, “CELEBRITIES (PROBABLY FAKES).” The page includes an email address for Howard the Duck, for crying out loud!  Why did we buy this book?

Holly: I can actually see buying something like this, but you have to know you’re going to weed it within a few short years. I just love it when people ask for a celebrity’s personal email. You know their publicist handles all that, right? And yours may or may  not ever be opened at all, let alone read, and I almost guarantee it won’t be read by the celebrity themself. Interesting to note that this book is by Seth Godin.

Side note: in this post, Seth Godin says he’s embarrassed about this book!

 

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