The Internet Library: Case Studies of Library Internet Management and Use [Paperback]

Julie Still (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0887369650 | ISBN-13: 978-0887369650 | Publication Date: June 1994

Each of these chapters represents a practical, workable, useful application of the Internet. The authors have each detailed a particular project that their library has implemented. They set the scene (what sort of library, what sort of clientele), outline what initial Institution Libraries went through in deciding whether of not to set up an anonymous FTP site. There are several questions involved with electronic publishing, such as the updating of information and the responsibilities of authors and supporting institutions. Colorado University, in addition to being the site of electronic reserve, also hosts Internet access to the Interlibrary Loan system. Jane Smith describes the development and introduction of this service at CSU. The type of library or specific situation can affect Internet usage. Stephen Benson, Leanne Hoctor and Paul Morgan write about the way the Internet is used at the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics Library in Canberra. They find ways of improving service to their users and streamlining their workload via the Internet. Another librarian is Trudy Katz of Kroll Associates in New York. She provides a humorous look at how Internet access has changed her job and the way librarians communicate in general. Lynda Williams has faced the ultimate nightmare - the possible loss of network access, and lived to tell about it. She and others at the College of New Caledonia in Prince George, British Columbia, worked hard to retain their system, and in the process became involved with the Prince George Freenet Association. One of the main issues librarians have been involved with is training. Karen Diaz and Helena Vonville outline the training programme at Ohio State University. Their programme focused on librarians and other faculty and graduate students. The University of Technology in Sydney, Australia has an established system of faculty liaison librarians and used those relationships to introduce their "Electronic Researcher" programme. Mireille Eid writes about that programme and the Internet training she gave for the School of Computing Sciences. Jeanne Stevens and Terri Fishel take a different tack. They offer a course to undergraduates at Macalester College on "Research Skills in the Computer Age". In addition to sharing their experiences they also share their syllabus. Peggy Warren-Wenk focuses her chapter on in-house training for librarians at York University in Toronto. She also describes workshops held for faculty and students. Her chapter also includes course outlines. Two librarians in Annville, Pennsylvania, also outline their training programme. They offered an introductory, interactive workshop for the faculty and staff of Lebanon Valley College. The size and geographic settings of the libraries represented here vary greatly. The problems involved in setting up Internet services seem universal. Each library found solutions. Although some of the projects described are similar the processes that led to them, while containing many of the same elements, are different in each library. Reading through the chapters in this book will, hopefully give others some idea of what is involved in such a project, what problems to expect and how to plan for them successfully.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

We have read the hyperbole about the "information highway" and have eagerly explored the Internet itself only to find the electronic equivalent of anarchy. How should we as librarians begin to approach the ever-evolving nature of the Internet, and how do we present this vast, yet often exasperating information source to our patrons? In short, as editor Still asks in the introduction of this book, "What do I do with the Internet?" The Internet Library attempts to provide answers to this question. This is not a technical or instructional manual on Internet use. Rather, it presents case studies of workable Internet projects, either technical or pedagogic, that have been initiated or enhanced by librarians. Most of the case studies are thorough, outlining the problems encountered-whether technical, economical, or political-and the solutions found. Although the intended audience includes both academic and special librarians, only three of the 13 entries actually originate from special libraries. Librarians seeking more information on Internet use in special libraries may also want to consider The Internet and Special Librarians (Professional Reading, LJ 10/15/93). Still's book consists of three sections: services, settings, and training. Within the services section are some technically challenging projects such as building a library-based gopher, setting up an ftp (file transfer protocol) site, or providing an interlibrary loan service using electronic mail. The settings section, containing only three entries, deals with fitting library services into larger networking contexts or settings. The entry concerning a one-person special library is comparatively too brief and superficial to have been included with the other more extensive and serious case studies. In the training section, Still, a user education librarian, has brought together five invaluable accounts of Internet training programs. This section is the most useful to academic librarians who wish (or need) to incorporate such instruction into user education programs. Several of the entries in this section include helpful course outlines and syllabi. The fluid nature of the Internet makes it difficult for any book on this topic to be all inclusive and up-to-date. However, it is interesting and informative to read about how colleagues are managing and using the Internet despite the rapid rate of change. Still has included entries from institutions in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain, of various sizes ranging from large universities to small liberal arts colleges. This is a useful book primarily for academic librarians who seek to stake a claim on the "information highway."-Robert L. Battenfeld, Long Island Univ.
Southampton Lib., N.Y.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 185 pages
• Publisher: Mecklermedia Corporation (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887369650
• ISBN-13: 978-0887369650
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,858,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)