Do librarians need basic HTML capabilities?

[Bill Crosbie]

ADDENDUM:

I have received a number of replies and I thank everyone for providing food
for thought as I mull this over and refine my ideas.

One thing that I would like to stress to all of my colleagues - I am really
talking about the creation and maintenance of your system-wide library
pages.  Thom Gillespie had written that to be literate is to read and write,
and this holds true in a digital environment.  I agree with him.  Some of
you are creating new information resources - that is critical in the
evolving world of digital information.

My contention is that for links to other internet resources, the process of
the mark-up could be automated.  The reason for automation is multi-faceted. 

1) It allows the library staff to FOCUS more on EVALUATION of outside
resources.  This would give your own library's links an advantage of
alta-vista searches. 

2) It maintains CONSISTENCY.  Your pages will have a common look and feel
that is difficult (though not impossible) to maintain with multiple page
maintainers.

3) It allows for EASY GLOBAL CHANGES.  If the page generation is automated then
        a) if you change the generation engine, the entire site can be
redesigned and implemented in a minimum of time
        b) if a link appears on mulitple pages, and the link value changes,
a change to a central database of information is reflected in all of the
necessary pages on your site.

and finally 

4) it sets the stage for the next phase of customer service - allowing us to
custom tailor the information we present to our patrons to better fit their
needs.

I hope that this clears up what my stated position is.  


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Information technology has		Bill Crosbie
replaced hot cars as the  		Microcomputer Analyst
symbol of robust manhood.		Chang Science Library
   	 				Rutgers University
	  -Scott Adams			New Brunswick, NJ USA
	   creator of 'Dilbert'		crosbie at aesop.rutgers.edu
					908-932-0305 x114