Creating Cyber Libraries: An Instructional Guide for School Library Media Specialists - Softcover

Craver, Kathleen W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0313320802 ISBN 13: 9780313320804

Publisher: Libraries Unlimited, 2002

Synopsis

As prices of traditional library materials increase, and space to house them shrinks, savvy school library media specialists are creating cyber libraries, or school libraries on the Internet. These libraries offer students and their parents 24-hour access and are invaluable for providing up-to-date information in a way traditional materials cannot. This guide outlines the steps library media specialists can take to create a cyber library, provide content and policies for use, and maintain it for maximum efficiency.

Craver justifies the need for cyber libraries in the 21st century, and how they can help librarians to meet the standards in Information Power (1998). She explains the different types of cyber libraries available, along with their advantages and disadvantages. She discusses how to construct them using portals or by acquiring fee-based cyber libraries, and what policies should be in place to protect both the school and its students. Also included are instructions for establishing remote access to subscription databases, creating cyber reading rooms, and providing instructional services to student users. Once a cyber library is created, it must be maintained and evaluated to keep it useful and current, and this book provides guidelines to do so. Finally, there is a chapter on promoting the cyber library, so the school community is aware of its features and participates in its growth process. No school library should be without this volume!

About this title

About the Author

KATHLEEN W. CRAVER is Head Librarian at the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. She is the author of School Library Media Centers in the 21st Century (Greenwood, 1994), Teaching Electronic Literacy (Greenwood, 1997), and Using Internet Primary Sources to Teach Critical Thinking Skills in History (Greenwood, 1999), which won the 2000 American Association of History and Computing Book Prize.

Reviews

A must-read for anyone considering building a cyber library. Nine chapters cover guidelines; policies to consider; Web-design issues; the use of portals; and strategies for maintaining, evaluating, and promoting a library Web site. Special-interest areas, such as providing a virtual reading room and online instruction, are also discussed in an effective manner. The chapters are efficiently organized with logical sections, and each one culminates with an annotated list of recommended Internet sites and a section of references. A comprehensive bibliography, an alphabetical list of recommended Internet sites mentioned in the text, and an index round out the volume. This title is a one-stop-shopping bonanza of wonderful, useful ideas on how to create a cyber library that will meet the information needs of our patrons.
Beth Jones, Shelby County High School, Shelbyville, KY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

School libraries are no exception to the trend toward creating virtual, digital, or cyber libraries. This comprehensive, well-organized guide outlines in 10 sections how to create, provide content and policies for, and maintain a cyber collection. Craver is head librarian at the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C., and author of several books on electronic literacy and Internet sources. Sample chapters include "Using Portals," "Creating Cyber Reading Rooms," and "Promoting Cyber Libraries." Most chapters contain a list of recommended Internet sites, and all conclude with a list of references. A solid bibliography, 12 pages of links, and a thorough index complete this unique reference for school media specialists. Susan Awe
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0313320802
• ISBN 13: 9780313320804
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256