Building the Service-Based Library Web Site: A Step-By-Step Guide to Design and Options (Ala Editions) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Sherry Piontek (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Librarians interested in developing a library homepage will find this book a good starting point for their endeavor. Written by two members of the team that developed the University of Michigan's University Library Homepage, the book begins with a "nontechnical accessible introduction to what the Web can do," then presents a process for developing and designing a web site. It highlights various factors to be considered: defining the goal of your homepage and planning its content with the patron in mind; promoting your homepage to your patrons; and keeping it current. Targeted at library staff, the book also addresses securing administrative support for the development of a web site. Included are examples of various public and academic library homepages. Recommended as a useful planning tool.?Kathleen Low, California State Lib., Sacramento
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

This book meets the unique needs of the library profession. It focuses on the universal home-page design principles and necessary content that make up useful and informative library home pages. Any "cybrarian" who wants to be a player in the planning and creating of library home-page services will find this a valuable, user-friendly guide, which gives up-to-the-minute advice on: what other libraries are doing, with screen captures of actual library home pages and Internet addresses; defining the goals of your home page; options for creating a professional and engaging design; planning your content and keeping it up-to-date; HTML basics; and publicising your page and attracting visitors.

Product Details

• Paperback: 101 pages
• Publisher: Amer Library Assn (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0838906745
• ISBN-13: 978-0838906743
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,767,410 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A poor, ineffective tool, September 5, 2002

By	Winter 's "Killing Frost" - See all my reviews

If you are just starting, if you have no idea of how to even remotely begin construction on your library's web site, than this book might be of some help to you. Maybe.

However, if you've got a basic plan or if you are going to be working on an existing site for the first time you may want to look elsewhere for guidance. *Building the Service-Based Library Web Site* starts off by assuming that you have little to no understanding of how the web works. Which is fine. But it shifts gears fairly quickly and starts liberally using HTML terms and techniques that aren't adequately explained in the text, and that could prove to be confusing for those with no HTML experience. It also assumes that your library does not already have a web site and proceeds to give the most advice on how to put your catalog online. Few libraries in my region do not have a web site to their credit so this hardly seems necessary. Other advice, such as "avoid cluttering it with too much detail about your library", is just absurd. Besides the catalog, basic information about the library is what brings our patrons to our page.

I recently took on the task of redesigning a section of my library's web site--I started with very little knowledge of just how it would be done. Ideas weren't the problem, but implementing them proved to be. I've been working on it for some months now and I picked up this book, hoping that I would be able to strengthen what I've already put in place. It wasn't much help.

My suggestion would be to write out a basic plan for what you have in mind for your site(for this you might want to visit other library sites, and the book does actually provide you with the means to do this effectively and simply); find out as much about the program(Dreamweaver, etc.)you will be using as you can; and have a book that outlines the basics of coding close to hand. You'll learn on your own what works and how you can make it work more quickly than you'll get help from this book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Put your library on the Web., March 30, 1997

By A Customer

Building the Service-Based Library Web Site shows how any type of library can make the most of its cyberspace presence