What are Library Webs For? (Was: Re: On Topic: Web based bibliographic instruction?)

[Charles Blair]

From: Elmer Masters <ermaster at mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject: Re: On Topic: Web based bibliographic instruction?
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 1995 10:30:07 -0800

Elmer Masters writes:

> This raises an interesting point.  Most of the information available
> in libraries today will never be delivered via the WWW or the
> Internet.  The challenge for libraries and other information
> providers/gateways is to develop information that can be delivered
> via the WWW.  In all likelihood this information will include
> directions on how to find the 'old' information lacated in another
> media.

I thought I'd raise the following point, because it seems to challenge
some assumptions about what library webs are for. It also responds to
this question:

---
Subject: On Topic: Web based bibliographic instruction?
From: Bill Crosbie <crosbie at AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at library.berkeley.edu>
Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 10:35:42 -0800

[...]

I am wondering what types of information that librarians who read this
list are looking to provide via the WWW.  Is it basic information
about the libarary (Hours, special events, etc)?  Access to your
on-line resources?  Via telnet?  Via web based forms?  How about some
on-line bibliographic instruction?
---

The answer to the preceding question, at our site, is: all of the
above, with the partial exception (currently) of on-line bibliographic
instruction. We do explain to users what the coverage of certain
services is. We might do more, but I think the current lack is more a
function of current time constraints than vision for our web.

Our library web group decided right from the start that our web should
be a guide and gateway to all relevant information regardless of
format. (That it should provide "one-stop" shopping for relevant
information regardless of format is one way we put it informally.)
That is, we decided it should include pointers to (Inter)networked
information (web, gopher, telnet, etc.), non-(Inter)networked
electronic information (stand-alone CD or CD network, or electronic
information requiring a special client, e.g., TLG),
microfiche/microfilm, and paper--much of our information is in paper,
our catalog points to our paper, and our web points to our catalog.

We exploit the web for its ability to allow us to inform users rapidly
of what we have and where it is, and to keep that information
up-to-date. We do this from in-house WWW-based or enabled "kiosks" as
well as by remote access to our web. If the information source is not
on the Internet, we can still tell users that we have it and how to
get to it.

We organize our web into three main parts: about the (physical)
library; a guide to the sources of information for which the
library('s electronic presence) is acting as a gateway; pointers back
to the campus web and out to the Internet (to help users find that
information which we don't select and present on our pages).

This organization seems natural to me, but I would like to see more
work done in identifying some generally recommended, accepted, or
acceptable standard "views" of information that library webs could
present. This could serve as a template for others to use.

Some of us do understand the need for but don't have the time (read:
financial support) to undertake focus groups or hire professional
graphics designers ourselves. I think it would be beneficial for all
of us if we could capitalize on the efforts of those who do. I learned
things of value at last year's WWW conference in Chicago; Sun had a
particularly good presentation on the construction of its
administrative web
(http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/IT94/Proceedings/HCI/nielsen/sunweb.html).

Until we have the budget to implement some of the good ideas we read
or hear about ("yeah, right" "dream on" and similar expressions come
to mind), some of us are going to have to rely on the findings of
others, "winging" the rest of it in real time, trusting to our good
sense and user feedback.