For many library web developers looking for a content management system (CMS), the path of least resistance often leads to WordPress. But given the multitude of customizable options, the blank slate of a fresh installation can be intimidating. This book demonstrates the different ways that WordPress can be used in libraries, broadly as a CMS of course, but also for subject guides, social networks, course management, digital archives, and even blogs (hey, wasn’t that its original purpose?).

In the first half of the book, Jones and Farrington present tried-and-true techniques followed by a catalog of useful plugins. For example, those with Facebook envy can try BuddyPress, which transforms WordPress into a social network. The authors pay particular attention to enhancing the WordPress experience for administrators and content creators. There are numerous screenshots and URLs pointing to additional resources.

The second half of the book features “guest pieces” that range in topic and format. There are a few case studies, an interview, a top-ten list, and some discussions. The examples cover academic, public, and school libraries, and archives. One technical project, “Creating Dynamic Subject Guides,” is a detailed cookbook full of embedded code. Readers who are interested in this project specifically, should consider the available e-book in order to have easier access to the code.

The scattershot approach is one of the book’s strengths, but it can also be a weakness, as some ideas may not be relevant and the topics tend to jump around. While there is a section about installing WordPress, this book is not meant to be a comprehensive technical guide. It’s an idea starter, best placed on a shelf with other WordPress books.

This review first appeared in Catholic Library World; March 2013, Vol 83 Issue 2. p.222.