Taking these readings as a unit, the Lynch article on the history and background of Z39.50 would be helpful to read first as the concept is referenced in several of the other readings. The language of this article is fairly simple and easy to follow, however, there are several points where the author interjects his opinion rather harshly. This startles the reader out of their rhythm and, for a beginner especially, it is hard to figure out how in proportion these opinions are to the related community.
As for the other readings, "The Truth About Federated Searching" was particularly interesting in that I still hear some of these myths nine years after this article was published. "OAI for Beginners" is a great resource actually written with beginners in mind - except for a few technical sections here and there, I had no trouble understanding it. Even then, I reread those sections just to be sure I had a firm understanding before proceeding. "Search Engine Technology" feels like a call to action in many ways. Lossau brings up a point that is still a concern in library communities: Will commercial endeavors like Google wipe out library-created search systems? He doesn't seem to think that will be so, but libraries must adjust, presumably in the ways he extensively detailed.
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