Sites for Library Webmasters

General Resources & News

• Website Legal Issues/Resources
• Staffing the Library Website
• Remote User Authentication Resources
• Designing Useable Websites
• Articles of Interest to read
• Content - What should/could your site include
• Live Reference - Hello, is this thing on??
• HELP!! with HTML, Link check services & more
• Keeping the  Stats on Website Usage
• Back to>> Creating & Posting Surveys & Polls
• Back to>> Resource Links for Creating your own Listservs, & Newsletters
• Back to>> Marketing Your Library - with your Website
• Back to>> General Website publishing links - Learn how to Create your own site
• Back to>> PDAs & wireless technology in libraries /resource links
• Check out the Library NEWS & VIEWS websites on the net

Related Resource:
Mini-Course Online
Reach Out! - Using Electronic Resources to Serve your Community
From Nebraska Library Commission.

Articles:
Computers in Libraries Nov/Dec 2002
A Task Management System to Cure Your Web Master Blues
by Kevin Cullen and Michelle Mach
www.infotoday.com/cilmag/nov02/cullen_mach.htm

HTMLW - How to Manage the Library Website
www.wiredlibrarian.com/htmlw/htmlfront.htm

Fair Use in a Nutshell:
http://www.copylaw.com/new_articles/fairuse.html
A Roadmap to Copyright's Most Important Exception
By Attorney Lloyd J. Jassin

Electronic Rights: Structuring the Rights Relationship By Lloyd J. Jassin
http://www.copylaw.com/new_articles/erights.html
**Note you may need to search article archives
if this moves from "new articles" directory on copylaw.com.
http://www.copylaw.com/new_articles/helpful.html

TEN COMMON COPYRIGHT PERMISSION MYTHS
By Attorney Lloyd J. Jassin
http://www.copylaw.com/new_articles/copy_myths.html

Locating Copyright Holders
information is provided to help you plan your permission strategy
and locate copyright holders more easily
http://www.copylaw.com/permission.html 

Related:
See also my page for Serials Specialists for information about Licensing Electronic Material
jobhelp3.html

Interesting reading - helping you  design the best meta tag information
so that your page can be found better by searchers,  and search engines.
Cataloging the Web (posted April 1997 )
by: Eyler Coates
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1683/cwrorig.htm

ARL - Novemeber 2001
SPEC Kit 266, Staffing the Library Website
Kate Ragsdale • November 2001 • ISSN 0160-3582 • 127 pp.
$45 ($35 ARL members) 
Quoting part of: Executive Summary
Introduction
For centuries librarians have organized information for ease of use; however,
most libraries have been developing websites to organize prodigious amounts 
of information for fewer than ten years. Library administrators are grappling with 
assigning staff to this new service, dividing website responsibilities, 
and fitting staff who work on the website into the structure of the organization.

In summer 2001, ARL surveyed its 122 member libraries 
about their management of human resources assigned to the library website.
Sixty-two libraries (51%) responded to the survey. 
Read remainder of summary:
SPEC Kit 266, Staffing the Library Website

Remote User Authentication in Libraries - Resources
Database Vendor Authentication Info 
University Authentication Projects 
Products and Services 
Proxy Servers and Authentication 
Microsoft Internet Information Server and Authentication 
Apache and Authentication 
Perl, CGI and Authentication 
SSL and Cookies 
LDAP and Kerberos 
Linux/Unix and Authentication 
User Authentication on the Web

BCR - Remote Patron Authentication (RPA) Toolkit
Excerpt quoted from website:
www.bcr.org/~ids/Toolkits/Internet/rpa.html

Many libraries want to offer access to their online database subscriptions
to patrons that are not physically in the Library.
Two things are needed to accomplish this task. 

First,the library must provide the technology to fake the database publisher's server
into believing that the off-site patron is accessing the database
from one of the library's computers even though the patron isn't in the library.
This is done by setting up a local proxy server, referring URL or scripted login
that remote patrons are directed to. 

The second piece is to authenticate off-site patrons so that only legitimate library patrons
are allowed access to the database product.
This process is known as remote patron authentication, or RPA,
and is commonly done by the same local server.
Toolkit: www.bcr.org/~ids/Toolkits/Internet/rpa.html

EZproxy: User Authentication 
Excerpt quoted from website
EZproxy provides the easiest way for libraries to extend web-based licensed databases to their remote users. 
www.usefulutilities.com/ezproxy/userauth.shtml
Overview 
The purpose of EZproxy is to provide a vehicle for you to provide on-site and off-site users with a path to your licensed databases. That path might be only to the main entrance of the database, or perhaps straight to particular articles within the database. In most instances, your on-site users do not need to be authenticated, but your off-site users must be authenticated. The following addresses the steps required to configure EZproxy for such use. 

Configure computers for user authentication.
A practice from the CERT® Security Improvement Modules
www.cert.org/security-improvement/practices/p069.html

IIS USER AUTHENTICATION TUTORIAL:
Excerpt quoted from website
Internet Information Server (IIS) User Authentication Tutorial.
This site provides detailed information on the various methods of authentication in IIS.
http://www.authenticationtutorial.com/

Mosaic User Authentication Tutorial
hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/docs/tutorials/user.html

PHP-Based User Authentication - tutorial
www.zend.com/zend/tut/authentication.php

Question : How do I user authentication in php? 
http://www.alt-php-faq.org/local/58/

Hot Scripts > PHP : Scripts and Programs : User Authentication
www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/User_Authentication/

ASP : Scripts and Components : User Authentication
http://www.hotscripts.com/ASP/Scripts_and_Components/User_Authentication/

Linux Magazine - Feb. 2002
Simple User Authentication by Jeremy Zawodny 
www.linux-mag.com/2002-02/lamp_01.html

USER AUTHENTICATION AND AUTHORIZATION IN THE JAVA(TM) PLATFORM
Proceedings of the 15th Annual Computer Security Applications Conference, Dec. 1999
java.sun.com/security/jaas/doc/acsac.html

Online "Example" of User Authentication "Policy" - for a University
University of Minnesota
www.fpd.finop.umn.edu/groups/ppd/documents/policy/x500pol.cfm

User Authentication at Public Internet Terminals:
Who Is Doing It?
A non-scientific email survey performed by Eric Schnell
bones.med.ohio-state.edu/eric/authentication.html

Online reading: 1997 article - but may still have useful information
USER AUTHENTICATION AND AUTHORIZATION IN A NETWORKED LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT
ALLIANCE ISSUES - November 1997
www.coalliance.org/reports/security.htm

Visit Carrie Bickner's site : The Rogue Librarian
Carrie is the New York Public Library's Branch Libraries', Web Coordinator.
Learn from a pro!

I received my first issue of The Shy Librarian in Feb. 2001
it is a publication dealing with
Marketing & Public Relations for Libraries
In it, is an article about Central Rappahannock Library
in Fredericksburg, VA and their Website
Librarypoint.org
It is a Terrific Site..be sure to visit and see the POSSIBILITIES!

Be sure to check out The Shy Librarian, too,
It is a new publication, and it looks like it's going to be successful
in its mission..to help us learn from "each" other
on how best to Promote & Market Libraries & Librarians
and their Staffs!

Click on over for More articles and resouces concerning Marketing Libraries

Keep your site simple enough to be used by patrons with disabilities

On June 21, 2001, the Section 508 Federal Acquisition Regulation went into effect.
Do you need to comply? Is your site ready? 
The regulations are designed to make the
Web more accessible to millions of Americans and others who have been
trying to navigate it using text-synthesizing software.
To Learn more visit
The official Section 508 website
and for help with the changes your site can make
or to help you design your site with these considerations in mind
See Techniques for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.

Article of interest from ITAL
Creating Equal Opportunity Websites
Addresses accessibility issues.

From Builder.com (part of C|Net) see their section on Site Design & Usability
on their Authoring & Site Design Resource Page
builder.cnet.com/webbuilding/0-3881.html

Visit: Viewable With Any Browser - Accessible Site Design Guide

See also the Yale Style Manual - for web pages
From the Dartmouth College site's Download Page you may download:
Accessible Design Guidelines

ARTICLES to Read:

Practical accessibility: Core concepts
www.dartmouth.edu/~webteach/articles/access.html

Usability testing in a library Web site redesign project
Author(s): Susan McMullen 
Reference Services Review
V: 29 (1) Pages 7-22 (2001)
Publisher:Emerald Abstract:
An intuitive library information gateway is critical to meeting the
information needs of library users in the digital age. 
This article describes the process involved in redesigning a library Web site.
In addition to first determining the goals and requirements for the library Web site,
a user and task analysis was conducted for defining the library's user base
and the types of tasks which users might be performing at the site.
Usability testing methods, such as observational interviews, provided fresh insights about
how users are interacting with the library Web interface as they approach various information seeking tasks.
These usability studies uncovered problems related to unclear terminology,
proper use of color, size, and location for navigational links, and the need for context sensitive help,
built-in redundancy, and clear and consistent navigation.

Connect Magazine Spring 2002
Web Usability Testing
Three Cases from the NYU Libraries 
http://www.nyu.edu/its/connect/02spring/libraries.html

Online article:
Academic Library Website Design Principles: Development of a Checklist
Roslyn Raward
http://www.alia.org.au/sections/ucrls/aarl/32.2/full.text/raward.html

And visit the Usable Web
Links for information about "Web Usability"

Also: From the NationalCancer Institute
Usability.gov
Your resource for designing useable, useful & accessible websites, and user interfaces.
http://www.usability.gov/

Designing Usable Sites 
7 Principles of Universal Design 
Read up on these basic design principles to help 
you build the most effective and broad-reaching 
website possible. The central philosophy? 
Take into consideration the widest range 
of your user capabilities - whether physical or mental. 

Visit Jakob Nielsen's "UseIt.com" website 
on Useable Information Technology. 
Read his article: 
Top Ten Guidelines for Homepage Usability (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox, May 12, 2002)
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20020512.html

From IBM /Ease of Use Website Design
Excerpt quoted from site:
http://www-3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/publish/572
Web Design Guidelines 
Welcome to the IBM Ease of Use Group's guidelines for creating easy-to-use Web interfaces. 
Achieving ease of use is essential for any site competing for business on the Web. 
The competition is only a couple of clicks away, and if users become dissatisfied, 
they can simply go elsewhere. However, by following these guidelines 
and using a user-centered design process, businesses can retain current customers and attract new ones.
Who is the audience for these guidelines?
This information is most valuable for novice and intermediate level Web designers, 
but contains tips and other information that may be useful to more experienced designers. 
As we continue our research and add more information to these guidelines, 
we hope to make them increasingly useful to experienced designers.
http://www-3.ibm.com/ibm/easy/eou_ext.nsf/publish/572

WDVL -Website Design has several articles on website usability
http://www.wdvl.com/Authoring/Design/
Such as this June 21, 2002 article
Train of Thoughts - Designing the Effective Web Experience 
http://www.wdvl.com/Authoring/Design/Effective_Design/
Which lists several tips and ideas such as:
Communicate with people effectively online so that they really understand 
what the value proposition of an online resource is .

User Interface engineering (many resources/publications are fee$ based)
http://world.std.com/~uieweb/
Excerpt quoted from site:
UIEtips 
UIEtips is our free, low-volume e-mail newsletter where we share our data about the hottest usability issues. 

Is your Website ADA compliant? (Suburban Library Services - Burr Ridge, Illinois)
http://www.sls.lib.il.us/infotech/accessibility/

Read:
The Design of Complex Library Web Sites. 
John Matylonek
Transforming Traditional Libraries
Fall 2001 Volume 1 Issue 2

Related site of interest:
Good links to articles & resources available from
Web Professional Research Center
http://www.cio.com/research/careers/

Writing secure CGI scripts
http://hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/cgi/security.html

Books to consider for purchase:

Usability Testing for Library Websites: A Hands-on Guide
Elaina Norlin  C. M. Winters
ISBN: 0838935117
Publisher: American Library Association
Pub. Date: February  2001

Usability Assessment of Library-Related Web Sites : Methods and Case Studies
Nicole Campbell (Editor)
ISBN: 0838981577
Publisher: Amer Library Assn
Pub. Date: June  2001

Designing Web Interfaces to Library Services and Resources
Kristen L. Garlock  Sherry Piontek
ISBN: 0838907423
Publisher: American Library Association
Pub. Date: January  1999

Library Web Site Policies 
ISBN: 0838980880
Publisher: American Library Association
Pub. Date: May  2000

The Library Web 
Julie M. Still 
ISBN: 157387034X
Publisher: Information Today, Incorporated
Pub. Date: May  1997
 

Building the Service-Based Library Web Site: A Step-by-Step Guide to Design and Options 
Kristen L. Garlock  Sherry Piontek
ISBN: 0838906745
Publisher: American Library Association
Pub. Date: January  1996

Neal Schuman Directory of Library Technical Service Home Pages
Barbara Stewart
ISBN: 1555702864
Publisher: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Incorporated
Pub. Date: June  1997

From WebMaster Base.com - SitePoint
Articles on Best Tips/Ideas for WebSite Designs

Read these online Articles

Library Journal online

Once Past the Front Door 
by Leo Robert Klein -- 10/15/2002
Features > Your Web Site
Leo Robert Klein explains how to avoid second-tier page disasters

Library Portals: A Minority Report
by Howard Strauss -- 10/15/2002
Features > The Big Picture
Howard Strauss argues that library portals aren't a solution for libraries,
but librarians must lead the development of institutionwide portals 

Is It Time To Get Blogging?
Blake Carver -- 1/15/2003
Features > Your Web Site
Blake Carver explains why librarians need to keep up with web logs
and consider producing them as well

Related: see my resource links for Library Blogs & Blogging on the 4libnews page

To Link, or Not To Link 
Joyce M. Latham -- 4/15/2002
Features article
Joyce M. Latham says web site selection must be backed up with the same sort of policies
we use to define print collection development 

School Library Journal
Feb, 2001
A Picture Is Worth ...(improve the image of your library on the web)
(from findarticles.com)

Online
July, 2000
Making Your Library Web Site Sticky.
(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)

Article:
Library Webmasters : Satisfactions, Dissatifcations & Expectations

From:
Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship
Spring 1998
"Academic Library Web Team"
The Role of Leadership & Authority
http://www.library.ucsb.edu/istl/98-spring/article4.html

An Article - Showing the policy of Yale Univ. Libraries
Copyright Management of Webpages & Sites
Representing the University's Library.

From School Library Journal, June 2000 issue
Read:
Tis' a Gift to be Simple (Library Websites)
Designing a Library Website that Makes Sense.

Article: Black Issues in Higher Education
July 20, 2000
Words Worth More on Web Sites. (advice on constructing a successful web site and
the web sites that can help you along the way)

School Library Journal
May, 2000
Teacher Knows Best. (Internet tutorials online)
"Looking for good Web tutorials or getting ready to create
some for your library?
Then check out the following sites,
which will amaze, amuse, and inspire you to
create some great tutorials of your own...."

This Texas University has a "guidelines" webpage
that their WebTeam put together
for other Departments
So that all webpages will be consistent
If your Site is going to be a "multi department"
effort - where you will be getting
input from other departments
Your may want to do something similar
Take a look at the UT Austin TeamWeb

Visit A Webquest of School Library Websites

And here's a Place 
to make a LibraryHomePage right on line
HomeMaker for Libraries

The Western NY Library Resource Council i offered
a course  (1999) Designing a Library Web page
Links to
Designing USEABLE Websites - Making Your Pages "User" Friendly!

Do you need help for writing on the Net try
Primer for Librarian Web Writers
see alsoWeb Design for Librarians..and
 

Create a Web Page for Yourself
Or Create a Career Niche as a Web Page Editor and Expert
Good article to print out with "basics" of HTML.

Often Library Webmasters and Systems Librarians update and
maintain the Library's Online Catalog and Databases
Check out this site which lists the most common "typographical" errors
found in Library Catalogs.
These same mistyped words can probably be found on THIS site (librarysupportstaff.com)
and on Your Library Pages.
(**Please note - when misspellings and mistakes in URLs are found
I really do appreciate being notified!!**)

For Systems/Webmasters, the folks who work on "Web" Teams
Web Review
is an Excellent Online Magazine
to check and read the articles "each" Month
Such as this Oct 2000 article:
"All About Web Coding Part I:
Techspeak and Front-end Development Demystified"
by Christian MacAuley
Oct. 20, 2000
"Web Review - Cross Training for Web Teams"

Sometimes the Systems Librarians and the Webmasters are
one and the same person and/or they may Share some of the same
problems working with "Library Systems & Databases"
Read this article of interest to both sides
Information Today (on findarticles.com)
March, 2000
Helping Us Keep Track of It All. (library information networks)
author: Marshall Breeding
See how Web-enabled databases can make for smarter work.

You may also be involved with presenting "Internet Based Content"
and figuring out how to allow access/and having the "connections"
always available to patrons from your Library Website
to e-journals, and other electronic databases.
Read more on the subject in this article (on findarticles.com)
Information Today
May, 2000
The Battle for Bandwidth.
Libraries need ways to ensure the connectivity of Internet-based resources

Read : One Library Webmasters' experience
The Electronic Public Library
Fact or Fiction
The Penrith City Library Experience.

Visit the Usable Web for links on Web Usability
and UseIt.com

Learn all about CGI - Common Gateway Interface.
And take a look at this CGI Tutorial

Also read online:
Smart Computing

From Web Developer Library Learn how to Just "DO IT"
Most "how to's for website managers" can be found here.
and Check out all the helpful resources of
ZDNet
and last but not least..check out
Web Grammar's Place..
free tips on grammar, editing, spelling and design. 

Read this article:
Users’ Information Seeking Behaviour on the Medical Library Website:
a Case Study at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

The advantages of a dynamic, database-driven website over static,
hard-coded HTML files are obvious:
a richer, more personalized experience for the end-user;
the ability for the site to be maintained by its owners; 
and the ability to gather information from the end-user. 

Related information:
Learn all about - DATABASES

Database Tutorials (From : Katsuey Design Works)

Web and Database Survival Guide
A free resource for beginning and professional web and database developers.
Emphasis is on SQL Server, MS Access and Active Server Pages.
activecodewizard.com/survival/

IT Database Toolkit

Ultimate Programming & Database Tutorials

Creating Dynamic Web Pages with Microsoft Access
databases.about.com

File Maker Pro - Tips & Help

Making your Library Intranet or Internet Site useful
is challenging and does require some database skills
to be incorporated into the design.
Print out this Chapter from Microsoft
on using their Database Software - Access97
to create Website Applications.
Developing Applications for the Internet

Developing Data-Driven Web Sites with Code-Behind HTML
By Andy Hoskinson, April 1, 1999
ZDNet Developer

Building a Database-Driven Web Site Using PHP and MySQL
by Kevin Yank
WebMaster Base.com

Database Software and Internet Database Systems Overview

Data Driven Webpages - Resources from About.com 

Web "Site Maps" are created by webmasters to help users navigate
and search their sites.
Visit an "Atlas of Cyberspace" to see the variety
of "map" styles used around "the net".

Resources useful in building a search database for your site
Building a Search Database

Free tools available from Advanced HTML for Beginners

• Drop Down Menu Maker
• CSS (cascading style sheets) Generater
• Meta Tag Maker
• Table Maker Tool
• Keyword Analyzer Tool
• Color & Font Picker
• HTML Validator

• HTML Tags
• HTML Forms
• HTML Frames
• HTML Tables 



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Other useful sites to visit:

Using EndNote to maintain  Electronic  Journal lists
MLAnet News - April 2000

For your Library website: a Interlibrary Loan Request Form Kit
The Interlibrary Loan Request Form kit is a set of scripts that allow you to
put your library on the World Wide Web!
The kit uses Web pages to accept requests for books and articles 
and, once the reader has filled out the minimum required fields, 
launches a CGI script written in Perl to E-mail one or more specified 
sites to carry out the request. 
The E-mail messages may be read by machine as well as human recipients.

Some local computer expertise is required to successfully set up the kit.
The form kit  is FREE "CareWare"
 

OWL / Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

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Look at this Study of
Children's/Kids Pages on Library Websites

To Top of page
 
 

GeneralResources

Clipart

Content for Sites

Website Helpers

---


 

ClipArt Sources

 

Books & Reading Related Clipart Resources	CLIPART to color your , "LIBRARY" world	Discovery School Book & Reading Pics

Article to read:
When Image is Everything
by Nicolas G. Tomaiuolo
Finding and Using Graphics from the Web 
Want to know where to go for images, how to find and download them, 
and the copyright issues involved? 
Then focus in on this descriptive article
and you'll get the picture! 
Searcher Vol. 10 No. 1  January 2002 

How about some CLIPART to color your ,
"LIBRARY" world...
From The Library Media & PR site..listing several links

From IFLA, you can obtain..Bibliographic Icons
for your Library Home pages.

Story Character : D.W.'s Bookmarks And
Arthur's Bookmark

LITTERA Scripta has links to Black and White Images of "books".

Small "book" icons/images - great to use as "buttons".

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FREE! *BOOKEND* Navigation image map
from about.com - (for non-commercial websites, only!)
Excerpt from website:
Navigation System With Books and Bookends
A pair of plain wooden bookends hold individual books that link to your individual Web site pages.
http://webclipart.about.com/library/Menu/blmenu1.htm

Free "Remote Control" Image Maps
http://www.bimsan.net/free/nav/remote.html

Click on "controls" for other Free ImageMap Navigation images for your website
at: http://www.justkissme.com

Related information links
Learn about Image Map HTML tags (free internet tutorial)
www.dtp-aus.com/im-map.htm
See another tutorial at :www.webdevelopersnotes.com/tutorials/adhtml/20.php3
Still more help for:
Creating Imagemaps (clickable images) 
www.webcom.com/html/tutor/imagemaps.shtml

Mapedit - Imagemap Editing Software (registration for software, only $10)
http://www.boutell.com/mapedit/

Software to create navigational menu bars
available for only $19 from xara.com
www.xara.com/products/menumaker/
(*Note*: I use xara navigational bars/menus throughout this site
see one example: the menu at the top of this page)

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Microsoft has a very extensive Clipart Gallery,
all images are FREE to download.
Search the clipart/cartoon gallery site, using the terms
libraries, librarian, book, information highway, etc.
Design Gallery  Live
http://dgl.microsoft.com/
If you can't for some reason
reach the pages from the above link
Link to it (the clipart) from the Template Gallery
which has "templates" for any & all business
needs, that can be edited using
Microsoft Office applications.

Be sure to see these excellent
Sources of Library Related Clipart.

Soo-Hyoung's Library Clipart
"Arthur" - Library Card Clipart

Books & Reading Related Clipart Resources

Discovery School Book and Reading Clipart

Read this article by Librarian, Linda Absher
Beyond Clip Art : Creating Graphics for the Web
and
Follow this advice from About.com on "Free Clipart"

Find some FREE animated "Screen Beans" at
www.geminigraphics.com/animgif6.htm
Check out all of Geminigraphics Freebies

Another site that offers a few Freebie "Screen Beans"
www.bitbetter.com/

Related: PowerPoint Presentations
using screen beans, helpful tips and more
www.screenbeans.com/powerlinks.htm

Take a look at additional website graphic sites and
sites that have "complete" sets for putting together
a site easily, with a "template" design
on librarysupportstaff.com's To the Net & Beyond page

**Note librarysupportstaff.com was designed using
a Premium Zyweb.com account and with Zymodules.
Zymodules is now "Xaramodules"

Also check out my page banners and logos software pages

Purchase Library Clipart on CD's

Read this article Locating Public Domain Images

Purchase ALA Library Graphics for your Libraries. 

Check out information about
Creating Signage in Your Libraries
(**This "clipart" information is repeated**)

Related sites
Using Background Images on your Webpages
How to Design Them, Create Them, & Use Them

To Top of page


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Content - What to put on Your Site

Keep in Mind when designing your site:
"Your" Users/Visitors Interests, 
Conduct inhouse surveys on What
Your Visitors want from
a visit to the Libraries  site.
Do they want a current time and temperature Display?
Do they want Listings of Events, Classes, or New Books, AV's available?
Do they want Maps and Directions to Library Locations?

Tailor your site to your Community,
Make it part of the Local Culture, "Online" - 
the same as it is in the "Real World"
List Links to popular Community sites,
Radio/TV stations, Local News Publications, etc.


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Place a Calendar of Library & Community Events on your site:
Such as:
EventKeeper 

www.eventkeeper.com
www.plymouthrocket.com

 EventKeeper  is designed to meet the unique informational needs of libraries 
by assisting library staff and volunteers to keep their online calendars fresh, 
current, and inviting. 
EventKeeper is a powerful communication tool, and the answer 
to the requirement for an up-to-date, online events calendar.

Unlike a static page listing your event schedule,
EventKeeper is a calendar visitors can search by date, by type of event, 
or by other criteria that you choose. 
They can even click on an underlined date on the graphic calendar in
the upper right corner to learn what's happening on that day.
They can also click to see events on a pictorial calendar of that month. 
So whether you have three events or three hundred listed, 
users can quickly find what they're looking for. 
There is also a printer-friendly version so those viewing 
your calendar can print it without distracting text or links. 

A brief list of features for consideration:

    *   no software to download, install, or upgrade
    *   excellent for town wide event calendars
    *   your calendar can be updated from any location with an internet connection and browser
    *   searchable and customized to fit the current look and style of your web page
    *   links directly from your existing web site
    *   no complicated technical training required
    *   affordably priced at $195.00 per year
    *   suitable for libraries and organizations of any size and activity level

    *   30-day money back guarantee

For more information about EventKeeper, 
visit our homepage at www.eventkeeper.com/
where you will find a selection of other subscribing libraries, faq’s,
information about how to sign up, and more.
Thanks for considering EventKeeper!

See also Free services available such as:
Localendar.com
Chat rooms have ranged in function from places where people go to talk about last night's "Friends" episode to places where professionals working in different parts of the world can share ideas in real-time. They are a great way to get visitors to "hang-out" at your site, making it more like a coffee shop (where people stay and chat) and less like a store window (where people stop, look, and move on). You can have chat rooms for book clubs, teens, etc.

To add a FREE calendar try the services of Localendar.com also check out
Techportfolio.ca
Create Announcements, Calendar entries, Contacts and "Forum" messages
Obtain your Free website tools


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Public Libraries should appeal to a wide variety of users.
Corporate or Special Libraries should aim at creating Sites,
that point up the "Value" of having a Inhouse and Online Library.
It should provide your Administration with reasons - on just how
much the Library enhances and advances their Information Needs.
And how "valuable" you are to the organization.
(**Remember - there are information content vendors
who are trying to sell your Corporations..
"Packaged Information" setups...and telling them -
Everything is ONLINE! - no humans needed!**)

Listen to your patrons when dealing with them in person.
Ask staff
for comments that they have heard or
questions most often asked of Reference Staff.
Create FAQ pages for Patrons.

Don't provide information or pages that most folks
wouldn't be interested in,  even
if it  were available in print. 
How many "in person" requests do you get in a 
week, asking to Read your "Library Mission Statement" ?

Don't reinvent the Wheel - if there are sites out there that 
teach Users how to use the Internet, or Help with homework -
don't "create" your own pages - sometimes we think, that
if a patron leaves "our site" - we "lose" them!
If you provide the
Complete"start point" to Information they Need -
they will use the Online Library site, over and over.
(this is why I created LibrarySupportStaff.com - it is your
starting point to anything helpful for staff that I have found on the Net)

Do provide Interesting Topics/Pages etc. - 
that you think patrons would find
fascinating or interesting and might not
have thought of to ask for in person.
You could create a "Did you know...." Column
to run once a month.
And it could cover all kinds of topics:
Historical Info on Town
or the Library itself,
or Latest Health News/Facts, Holiday Info, 
**Note I have a page with links to help you find out what's going on
re: Holidays and Observances, etc. - 4observing.html
List - Things to do locally, etc.

Create a Newsletter and provide e-mail subscription.
**Note check out the resources for creating a listserv or email newsletter
on the 4subscribe.html page.
Create "chat/bulletin boards" where visitors can talk about
Recent books they have read or on other topics, create different
boards for each topic.

Browse through the many
Online Library Journals
keep up with the latest trends.
Check out what others have done or are doing.

Provide handy tools - Such as Calculators, Calendars, etc. -
there are several sites
that provide Java Scripts (FREE) for all types of
 tools and applications.
But don't go too  heavy into
videos or animations or interactivity...
many users
may not have fast machines or
want to download software, etc. 

Read : 
Designing Websites to be Disability Friendly

Stick with things
that would benefit the "majority" of users.

Consider offering Live Reference - it  can be as easy
as setting up a site that uses Instant Messenger technology
Check out the "chat technolgy" resources page
 

Celebrating American Libraries!!!
Look for ideas/resources to promote on your Library Websites!
and what your library has available.
See some ideas for promotion using your website on the 
Marketing Libraries page - marketinglibs.html

Read current Library Stories/Trends & Commentary in the News
Check out the resources on the 4libnews.html page.

Promote LIVE at the Library 2000: Building Cultural Communitities
and GO FIGURE!~ Traveling Library Exhibition

50 Ways to Use Your Library

Library Lovers Make Cents For Libraries!
If you have a penny and I have a penny
and we exchange pennies, 
you still have one cent and I still have one cent. 
But if you have an idea and I have an idea
and we exchange ideas, 
you now have two ideas and I now have two ideas.

Know whats happening and going on
Check out American Libraries Date Book
Find other Library Happenings/Conferences/Book Fairs etc
on the resource page: confnews.html

Read the LibLog - a Collection of
Links & readings for Library Folk 
Read from other library news links and commentary and findout
about the software some sites use for weblogs on
the 4libnews.html page
and learn how to create your own Listserv, 
or Library Newsletter (Email or Print) on
the page: 4subscribe.html

Read about "Redesigning" Library Services!

Innovative Internet Applications In Libraries

Interested in FREE Web Content
Magportal - has feeds to a variety of magazine articles
Moreover.com also provides FREE Content
Other examples of Free content can be found on the webpubhelp.html page

The Following is a WebFeed from MoreOver.com

Use a Search engine such as
Google.com and just put in the words
free web content for websites, and you'll find much more
on the net available for your use.

Keeping content fresh and updated, and hoping
your "webpage" visitors
will come back again and again
Is probably the biggest challenge
For Library web page designers.
You should strive to make, not only,
"Your Design" - simple and easy to use,
and navigate.
But you also need to provide "Unique Content"
That is designed around "YOUR LIBRARIES" Users NEEDS!
Your staff should be listening to the customers
Find out what their needs are, what are
"THEY" looking for from YOU - Your Library

See  the Live Ref Resources on Library Support Staff.com
and Chat Technology Resources

Add Live Customer Service To Your Web Site For FREE!
Internet Users' #1 complaint with online service sites
is the lack of Customer Service.
Now with LiveHelper you can allow
customers to ask questions
and get answers instantly.
Features Include:
Completely Customizable Interface
Monitor Visitors in Real-Time and
Proactively offer them help
Answer Questions from anywhere on your PDA
You can add Live Voice and Text Customer Service
to your web site in less than 30 minutes.
For more information visit:
LiveHelper.Com

Learn about MultiCity.com services
check out their starter package
Quoted from site:
STARTER Package 

  Includes 4 Tools: 
  1 Starter Chat Room 
  1 Starter Message Board 
  2 Starter Web Polls 

Only $49.95 per year! 


---


Chat rooms have ranged in function from places where people go to talk about last night's "Friends" episode to places where professionals working in different parts of the world can share ideas in real-time. They are a great way to get visitors to "hang-out" at your site, making it more like a coffee shop (where people stay and chat) and less like a store window (where people stop, look, and move on). You can have chat rooms for book clubs, teens, etc.

To add a FREE calendar try the services of Localendar.com also check out
Techportfolio.ca
Create Announcements, Calendar entries, Contacts and "Forum" messages
Obtain your Free website tools



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Databases and Search Engines for your Site

ADD A POWERFUL SEARCH ENGINE TO YOUR WEB SITE
It is what I am using for "THIS SITE"
With Atomz.com Search,
simply add a few lines of HTML
(no additional hardware or software needed)
and in minutes your site will have
a powerful and completely customizable
site Search Engine.
Try it FREE for 500 pages or less
(with No Required Ad Banners!)
 Visit: Atomz.com

Google also will allow to put a FREE Search engine on your site
one that can search the web and your own Library  pages!

Learn how to Develop Applications using MS Access
for your websites

Check out:
 more FREE sites to teach you New Skills

Sample these : Free Tutorials
Learn how to "FLASH"
Flash 4 for Beginners
Check out a Library (related) Site
that uses Some "Flash"
Librarian Avengers

---

Visit Zymodules.com
**Please note - Jan. 11th 2001 - Xara Online.com - bought Zymodules
from Zy.com.

I have a few "zymodules" installed on this site
The drop down "bars" at top of this page

There are a variety of other "scripts" and modules
for websites,so be sure to check out what they offer!
I pay $3.95 a month to access the "button bar" features of xaramodules.com
But there are other spots on the net that will allow you to create button bars for FREE.
I just like some of the designs at xara and the flexibility of colors, etc.

Xaraonline also offers more advanced
"pay for" features - database, forms, etc. (designs/modules).

Use Javascript for designing a "navigation bar" for your pages
From BrainJar.com
navigation bar - with drop down menu

"overLIB"
Create mouseover popup boxes for your text links.

Learn more about Java Scripts at the JavaScript Learning Center

Locate DHTML Scripts

I have resources for Creating "presentations"
"tutorials", and "courses" for Online and Off
If your Library is involved in offering Online Instruction
you may want to view these resources as well.