[WEB4LIB] policy about links on websites

[Shirl Kennedy]

<laugh>  Just went to hell and back over the same issue when I was Webmaster
for the City of Clearwater.  (Have since changed jobs; am now Web Guide
Manager for eCompany Now -- http://www.ecompany.com/)  At any rate, the
whole experience was so...uh, enlightening, that I wrote a column about it
for the November 2000 issue of Information Today.  If you have get your
hands on a copy, I think you'll find it helpful.  Sometimes, IT puts my
columns online full-text, but they didn't with this one.  Here's the nitty
gritty:

Internet Waves
Linking Policies for Public Web Sites
Shirley Kennedy explains why it’s important to develop and post policies on
public Web sites to inform users about linking—and to avoid lawsuits. — Page
42

If you can't get your hands on the actual magazine, e-mail me privately and
I'll share.

Shirl Kennedy

> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib at webjunction.org
> [mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of Gillian Wiseman
> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 12:09 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: [WEB4LIB] policy about links on websites
>
>
> This may or may not be quite on topic, but I hope you all could help me
> find information on writing a policy for our City on what websites are
> to be linked to from the library's website.
>
> Specifically, we have been told that no Commercial links will be
> tolerated. This means no search engines, no kids game sites, no
> bookstores with reviews, not much of anything that isn't a .gov
>
> We are trying to accumulate policies and other information that would
> let us write an alternative policy statement allowing links for all the
> "library" reasons (education, quality of resource, unavailability in
> other formats, all of that).
>
> If anyone could send me a relevant policy, or give me some sources, I
> would appreciate the help. Of course, my deadline is January 1 or
> shortly thereafter.
>
> Gillian Wiseman
> Electronic Resources Librarian
> Waco-McLennan County Library
> Waco, TX
>
>