Herring, James E. Improving Students’ Web Use and Information Literacy: A Guide for Teachers and Teacher Librarians. U.K.: Facet Publishing, 2011. 143 pp. ISBN: 9781856047432. $85 Hardcover. 

Tracy M. Hall, McNeese State University

Web use in today’s K-12 schools, by students and teachers alike, has become an expected norm of education. With that expectation, however, and the ever consistent growth of the internet and use of the web, it is vital that K-12 teachers, school librarians and the students they interact with use the web effectively for both learning and teaching. It is this research that James E. Herring, lecturer in Teacher Librarianship at the School of Information Studies at Charles Sturt University in Australia, has chosen to explore, in his most recent book, Improving Students’ Web Use and Information Literacy. Herring’s book aims to explore the ability to use information effectively (particularly web-based information) as it relates to information literacy, while incorporating current quality Information Communication Technology (ICT) principles and tools into teaching and instruction. 
	For over two decades now Herring’s research has investigated the Internet, information skills and the overall effective web use, or lack thereof, as it relates to K-12 students, educators and teacher librarians. Having again chosen this topic as continued discussion for research in 2010, Herring creates a text whose primary aim is “to change staff and students in schools from web users to critical web learners.” According to Herring and recent library literature, effective web use and student’s use of information literacy skills is still lacking. Herring goes even further to say that teachers and teacher librarians could also use advice, guidance and in-service training on searching and using the web effectively, in addition to incorporating ICT into teaching strategies. Here we see a refreshing twist of focus, not simply one on a given student’s lack of critical evaluation when it comes to digital literacy and web use—Herring’s research raises the point that busy teachers and busy teacher librarians also suffer from lack of understanding on how to best use the web effectively in terms of teaching.  
	Structurally, the text is clear. Herring combines a brief introduction, nine chapters, a bibliography of references for further reading, and an index—all streamlined into a compact 143 pages of consistent format. The first six chapters focus on key themes, such as learning and teaching in today’s schools, finding and using information on the web, evaluating websites, Web 2.0 and schools, information literacy, and improving student use of the web. While a majority of these themes appear consistently ubiquitous in the literature, Herring does do a fine job at providing a tidy refresher in these first six chapters that act as a “one-stop shop” for those new to the field of teaching and for school library media specialists in a K-12 environment. These foundations would also certainly translate to early higher education students as well and fits the premise of preparation for library instruction needs at that level.  
	Where things start to get a bit more interesting are the final chapters of the book. In Chapters 7 and 8 Herring introduces to the reader topics on developing learning websites for student use, focusing on design, tools and content. While the first half of the book focused as a mini refresher on topics practitioners in the field have heard about incessantly, the last three chapters focus on the importance and suggested “how to” for teachers and teacher librarians. Here the focus shifts toward more instructional design, alongside information communication technology tools as a necessary stimulant for student interaction and student learning. Unfortunately, no new radical technology tools are suggested. Wiki’s, Websites, Prezi presentations—these tools surely don’t seem all that new and exciting; they have been around for a while now. What is key to take away, however, is a further exploration of these tools, and how they might be used more selectively. The text implies important questions and offers answers: Not sure where to get started in your design, or too busy to learn something else? Herring suggests and outlines an in-service course on storyboarding, a learning website for school staff, and provides several screenshots showcasing websites, wikis, and presentation software that have used design techniques to enhance student learning outcomes. 
	Finally, Chapter 9 leaves the door wide open, as the book closes on the emphasis of the next phase of ICT in schools and reflection on the 21st century skills needed by students, teachers and teacher librarians alike. Can we predict the future? No. But Herring does offer conversation and discussion on the future development of Web 3.0, future technologies, and 21st century skills for all players involved. With that said, this research is obviously essential and continuously evolving. This slim edition is an easy read that will certainly hone instruction design muscle and work to refresh some basic concepts to keep in mind for those of us in today’s technology and internet rich, education environment. In addition, for more on this topic and then some Herring blogs at http://jherring.wordpress.com/ (free of charge).