Do librarians need basic HTML capabilities? -Reply

[Thomas Dowling]

> Yes, *some* librarians need to know HTML. For
> example, librarians who teach classes about the Web or
> teach Web search strategies need to understand the basis
> of the Web, just as most catalogers need to be familiar
> with AACR2 and MARC records.

I think you could make a very good case that reference librarians also
need a pretty thorough understanding of the MARC record.  Likewise I know
from experience that serials catalogers benefit immensely by doing a
little reference work in a serials-intensive library.  If you're going to
ask your catalogers to provide input on the web interface to your catalog,
they'll need at least enough knowledge of HTML to understand its
limitations.  If you're going to get your collection development people on
board to discuss full-text delivery options, they'll not only need a
thorough grounding in HTML, but be able to compare it productively with
alternatives like PDF.


> 
> Another thing to consider is the rise of
> What-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML editors like
> Netscape Navigator Gold, designed to make HTML
> programming more transparent. Many people frown on
> using such editors, but more and more people are going to
> be creating Web pages without knowing any HTML.


Unfortunately, more and more people writing HTML documents will fail to
realize or understand why the phrase "What-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML
editors" is nonsensical.  I have no problem with people being able to
create a first-level header without actually having to type
"<h1>...</h1>".  But I do have qualms about tools which fool users into
thinking a portable structural markup language can--or should--be used as
a WYSIWYG page description language.  And one real-world upshot of this is
that too many people creating web pages are tying themselves in knots to
micromange the detailed appearance of their documents, oblivious to the
fact that those details may fly out the window as soon as a user tries a
different browser (or even different settings on the same browser).


Thomas "Real HTML writers use vi!" Dowling