[WEB4LIB] Re: Library Web Page Use

[Craighton Hippenhammer]

Dan mentioned Blackboard in his first posting on this subject, and I think it needs revisiting as he had a good point.  The use of classroom management software will definitely have an affect on the use of library Web pages, as both professors and students will be hanging out there quite a bit, whether in the discussion groups, chat forums, checking assignments, reading professor-mounted resource material, uploading papers to the Digital Drop Box, or even checking out the pitiful resources that come with it.  This is a fact of life, and for us, very much of a growing reality.

As of August, 2001, we went live with Blackboard for all the professors, and quite a number used it, including me.  At the same time, our university intranet home page was changed to the Blackboard login page.  All during the summer I worked closely with the Blackboard administrator and was able to make the library's presence very much visible, something I feel very good about. Top in the "ONU Resources" dialog box is the link to the library home page, followed by links to the library databases page, online catalog, the eReserve page, and library proxy (off-campus access) page.  In addition, I made the library an official university "organization" as Blackboard defines it, where we have eReference capability (chat, discussion board, email).

Despite this success, I'm still not willing to give up on the institution's extranet home page.  Make the library link there obvious, I say!

Anyone else have some (other) good ideas/successes in using Blackboard for library purposes?


Craighton Hippenhammer
Information Technology Librarian
Olivet Nazarene University
chhammer at olivet.edu



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