Announcing CyberStacks(sm)

[The Big Glee Bopper]

CyberStacks(sm) is in great need of serious usability studies and a 
decent graphic designer who understands the concept of _readability_

--Thom

p.s. It might actually be useful at the 3rd sub-level but you have to get 
there first!

On Sat, 18 Nov 1995, Gerry McKiernan wrote:

>       Announcing CyberStacks(sm), A Demonstration Prototype
>        Virtual Science and Technology Reference Collection
> 
>      While there have been noteworthy efforts to facilitate the
> efficient identification of relevant Internet and World Wide Web
> (WWW) information and data sources in the fields of science and
> technology, users continue to be confronted with the cumbersome
> task of effectively identifying, selecting, evaluating and using
> Internet Reference resources that best meet their information
> needs. To address this situation, I have created CyberStacks(sm)
> - a browsable classified and categorized selected collection with
> an appropriate level of specificity and description that I
> believe offers the value-added structure and organization which
> can facilitate the identification and use of selected Internet
> and WWW resources in these, and other, subject areas.
> 
>      The URL for CyberStacks(sm) is
> 
>            <http://www.public.iastate.edu/~gerrymck/>
> 
>      As a short-term goal, I plan to identify and incorporate
> selected resources that may be categorized within the Science (Q)
> outline of the Library of Congress classification scheme, the
> system that I have adopted for the CyberStacks(sm) service. I
> would greatly appreciate receiving the title, URL and a _brief_
> description of other Reference resources that may be classified
> in this group, as well as similar information for resources that
> cover other science and technology disciplines.
> 
>      Within the CyberStacks(sm) main homepage, I have hypertexted
> a 'virtual paper' where I have critiqued other efforts and
> documented the theories, philosophies and observations which I
> believe support the organizational approach adopted by
> CyberStacks(sm).
> 
>      As I am greatly interested in refining the development of
> CyberStacks(sm) in this stage of its development, I ask that my
> colleagues critically review the overall scheme as well as any
> the other issues that this approach raises. I would also greatly
> appreciate comments on the working 'virtual paper' found
> throughout the base homepage.
> 
>      I believe that the CyberStacks(sm) database has the
> potential of serving many clientele within many organizations. To
> realize its potential, the service will require the cooperation
> and collaboration of a variety of subject specialists from these
> organizations, who have the expertise and knowledge of Internet
> resources in the broad and specific subject areas covered by
> CyberStacks(sm). I strongly encourage individuals and
> organizations to participate in the development of
> CyberStacks(sm) and describe the levels of participation from
> within its homepage.
> 
>      As CyberStacks(sm) is a prototype demonstration project,
> it would be premature to point to the service at this time. It is
> my hope that with the appropriate level of support, a fully
> functioning service can be established by July 1, 1996.
> 
> Gerry McKiernan
> Coordinator, Science and Technology Section
> Reference and Instructional Services
> Iowa State University
> 152 Parks
> Ames IA 50011
> 
> gerrymck at iastate.edu
> 
>                               "The Future is Now"
> 
> 
> 
>