Synopsis
This cutting-edge guide is designed to help librarians who have already mastered Internet skills such as e-mail, FTP, Telnet, Gopher, and the World Wide Web (including HTML basics) learn how to be successful Internet information producers and providers. Focusing on practical applications and realistic implementations, Creating And Providing Information Products And Services On The Internet first offers advice on planning a project, including assessing equipment and software needs, staffing and training, and creating and maintaining the Internet product or service. It covers designing Internet training programs for a variety of populations, offering a useful look at creation and maintenance of distance education projects. The guide also offers information about marketing traditional library services, electronic libraries, journals, and newsletters on the Net. Throughout, case studies of actual successful projects such as Purdue University's Government Documents Project and Cleveland Public Library's Electronic Library Project are offered to demonstrate proven strategies and approaches. Appendixes list Internet services software for different computer platforms, and an annotated directory of URLs which link to selected Internet tutorials and FAQs for installing and maintaining Internet services software.
Reviews
Even if you are the type of librarian who snickers (or cringes) at the term "cybrarian," you will find this book useful. Despite the fatuous phrase, this is not a fanciful book on "virtual" libraries but one on creating real Internet services, programs, and information products. It is for those librarians who are already familiar with E-mail, ftp, gopher, the World Wide Web, and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and who wish to become an "Internet Information Producer and Provider" (IIPOP). The types of IIPOP services covered include Internet instruction and distance education programs, marketing library services on the Internet, creating an electronic library, publishing an electronic journal or newsletter, and creating specialized Internet information products. The main chapters discuss the planning, implementation, and maintenance of these services and provide 18 pertinent case studies of successful library projects, each including a description, contact person, E-mail address or WWW homepage address, and, if appropriate, a screen image of the homepage. Appendixes feature sources of client/server software, a selected list of tutorials on setting up Internet service and client software, a basic primer on UNIX, directory of IIPOP discussion lists and newsgroups, and a bibliography for IIPOPs. The authors take pains to provide realistic scenarios and encourage librarians to think carefully about the costs and benefits of attempting such a service. Although the price is steep, the book presents practical expertise gleaned from the authors' experiences as Internet consultants. Recommended for librarians seriously considering providing Internet programs and services.?Robert Battenfeld, Long Island Univ.
Southampton Lib., N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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