Laurel A. Clyde and Jane E. Klobas
Examines changes in experience and confidence among students taking their first Internet course at university between 1994 and 2000 in a country with high Internet use. Time…
Abstract
Examines changes in experience and confidence among students taking their first Internet course at university between 1994 and 2000 in a country with high Internet use. Time series show that the number of participants who had used the Internet before commencing university has increased so it is now rare to encounter a student with no prior experience. While almost all new students are experienced and confident users of e‐mail and the WWW, not all have used search engines, and exposure to new and advanced tools is limited. Very few have built a Web page. The first Internet course at universities in countries with high Internet penetration should develop students’ understanding of the Internet as it is used in everyday life by developing knowledge of the Internet’s history and development, advanced skills in Internet use, and the knowledge required to evaluate the potential of new Internet technologies and applications.
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In 1996, a content analysis of 50 school library Web sites from nine countries, provided an overview of the then current “state of the art”. In 1999 and 2002, the remaining sites…
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In 1996, a content analysis of 50 school library Web sites from nine countries, provided an overview of the then current “state of the art”. In 1999 and 2002, the remaining sites were again subjected to content analysis. This article reports on trends and changes through the six‐year period. While school library Web sites have remained very diverse, there has been considerable development, though that development has been uneven both across the Web sites and through the time period. More than half the sites became more sophisticated in terms of the number of pages and the resources made available through them. A major change since 1996 has been the use of the school library Web site to provide access to electronic resources such as for‐fee online information services, the catalogues of other libraries, and the school library's own OPAC.
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Jane E. Klobas and Laurel A. Clyde
Examines social influences on Internet use and training based primarily on the results of longitudinal research with adult Internet trainees in Iceland. The authors briefly…
Abstract
Examines social influences on Internet use and training based primarily on the results of longitudinal research with adult Internet trainees in Iceland. The authors briefly discuss the theoretical context before outlining the research and its findings. Social influences included the effect of family and friends, employers, professional colleagues, the media, and a general sense that, increasingly, “everybody” is expected to be able to use the Internet. In this context, librarians and the managers of libraries and information services are experts who are best placed to exert their influence on attitudes to the Internet by providing recommendations, demonstrations, and training about the Internet as a source of information and knowledge.
Many libraries are creating Web sites, to serve a wide range of purposes. The author is Webmaster of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL); using her own…
Abstract
Many libraries are creating Web sites, to serve a wide range of purposes. The author is Webmaster of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL); using her own Web site as an example, she discusses a number of issues and tasks associated with creating and maintaining a professional Web site, within the context of a strategic planning approach to Web site development. Beginning with “Should we have a Web site?”, the stages of the process are outlined, including identification of aims and objectives, analysis of user needs, selection of content and services to be included, writing or developing the content, developing the information architecture, navigational aids, visual design of the site, HTML coding or use of page development software, metadata, mounting the completed pages on a Web server, testing and modifications, listing with search engines and directories, publicity and promotion, ongoing site maintenance, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the Web site. The strategic planning process provides a useful framework through which to view the many tasks associated with Web site development and maintenance and to conceptualise their relationship to one another.
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Jane E. Klobas and Laurel A. Clyde
Do librarians feel that it is important to keep up to date with new developments in technology? What means do they use to find out about these new developments, and how effective…
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Do librarians feel that it is important to keep up to date with new developments in technology? What means do they use to find out about these new developments, and how effective are those means? These and related issues are considered in this article, in which the authors report on a small‐scale survey of librarians in Western Australia, carried out in 1989. The results suggest that, while the librarians have a strong belief that it is important to keep up to date with information on new technology, they generally adopt the common strategy of simply using readily‐available sources of information.
Many libraries are using the Internet's World Wide Web to provide information/or library clients and others. The article begins with a brief discussion of the situation in one…
Abstract
Many libraries are using the Internet's World Wide Web to provide information/or library clients and others. The article begins with a brief discussion of the situation in one country, Iceland, based on a November 1995 questionnaire survey. Among other things, this Icelandic survey looked at library use of the Internet and the ways in which libraries are using the World Wide Web to provide information via a homepage. A larger Nordic study, of which this Icelandic study was part, sets the Icelandic findings in a broader context. To take this further into an international setting content analyses were carried out of the home pages of public libraries and school libraries in 13 different countries. After a short description of the methodology, the results of these analyses are presented Based on this, there is a discussion of the purposes for which a library might create a home page on the World Wide Web and of the information that might be provided through the homepage, depending on the purpose or aim. The final section of the paper deals with issues and problems associated with the creation and maintenance of a library home page.
Online information services are increasingly being used in schools and school libraries, both as a source of information and as a means of teaching information skills. Types of…
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Online information services are increasingly being used in schools and school libraries, both as a source of information and as a means of teaching information skills. Types of online services available include cataloguing information services, bibliographic services, full‐text and statistical information services, videotex services, local and special interest services and electronic bulletin boards. These are discussed in relation to current educational theory and the possible curriculum applications in schools.
A total of 55 weblogs maintained by libraries were identified in late 2003 using Internet search engines and directories. The weblogs were studied using content analysis…
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A total of 55 weblogs maintained by libraries were identified in late 2003 using Internet search engines and directories. The weblogs were studied using content analysis techniques. Library weblogs were found in just three countries, with the majority being in the USA. Public and academic libraries were more likely to have a weblog than other types of libraries. The most common aim or purpose was to provide news, information and links to Internet resources for library users. Few provided interactive facilities, and when provided, there was little evidence that the facilities were used to any extent. Only one‐fifth of the weblogs had been updated within the past day and only half within the previous week. Less than half provided an RSS feed. Given the small number of library weblogs in the study, the question of “why so few?” is discussed. Finally, the article addresses the implications of the findings for library managers.
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This paper reports on a descriptive study undertaken to gain an overview of library and Information workplace needs (as of early 2002) for library professionals with knowledge and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper reports on a descriptive study undertaken to gain an overview of library and Information workplace needs (as of early 2002) for library professionals with knowledge and skills related to user education and information literacy instruction.
Design/methodology/approach
A description and discussion of a small‐scale research project that used content analysis techniques to study job advertisements posted to the international LIBJOBS listserv over a period of three months.
Findings
A little over half of the advertisements required at least some experience of and/or skills in user education or instruction of some kind.
Research limitations/implications
The analyses reported in this paper were carried out early in 2002. However, more recent literature, and more recent research reported elsewhere, indicate that the findings remain valid.
Practical implications
The findings of the study, and recent literature, indicate that skills associated with user education and information literacy instruction are important in today’s libraries.
Originality/value
The paper focuses on demonstrable employer and workplace requirements for the LIS professional, rather than abstract formulations and discusses the resultant implications for librarians’ continuing professional development and workplace learning.
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Weblogs are a relatively recent Internet phenomenon, dating from the late 1990s. However, while Weblogs may be a natural for librarians (or for some librarians, at least), they…
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Weblogs are a relatively recent Internet phenomenon, dating from the late 1990s. However, while Weblogs may be a natural for librarians (or for some librarians, at least), they are not yet a natural for libraries. This paper examines Weblog history and usage, particularly where libraries and librarians are concerned, and highlights some areas where Weblogs may be put to better use.