Using the World Wide Web and Creating Home Pages

Citation

Murray, V. (1998), "Using the World Wide Web and Creating Home Pages", Library Review, Vol. 47 No. 3, pp. 187-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.1998.47.3.187.2

Using the World Wide Web and Creating Home Pages is number 67 in the How‐To‐Do‐It Manuals for Librarians series. By Ray E. Metz, director of library information at Case Western Reserve University, and Gail Junion‐Metz, a consultant in Internet training, it is written by information professionals for information professionals. The manual aims to introduce the Web, the Internet and their potential applications in the library, and to provide a “how to…” guide to tackling the various stages involved in providing Web access. The language and layout are clear and the text uses a helpful number of figures and illustrations. There are 11 chapters in all. The first nine each deal with a different aspect of the subject. Chapters 10 and 11 are a glossary and an extensive bibliography respectively.

Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the Web and some of the issues arising when planning access. A brief history and guide to the most common navigational tools gives a good grounding in the basic concepts. Planning issues include implications for staff, and the impact on services and readers. The third chapter covers the technical and practical issues involved in getting online and in providing physical access. Chapter 4 looks at training of staff and users. The fifth, and central, chapter considers general matters of planning and strategy. This provides a solid framework for the implementation process. The chapter is divided into planning steps, which include things like, “write specific objectives and outcomes for your Web site”, “write policies and procedures for your Web site” and “test your Web site”. Each step is discussed with helpful guidance and suggestions, and there are references to the bibliography for further reading.

The next two sections deal with the actual construction of the Web site. Chapter 6 covers design principles, using plenty of examples. There are a further 30 pages of sample Web pages in an appendix. Chapter 7 introduces the reader to basic HTML, going through the most common commands one by one. Also included is a very brief summary of the HTML editors. This may be the weakest part of the book, which is unfortunate since it is the one many readers will want to turn to first. The layout suddenly becomes cluttered and rather than adopting a step‐by‐step tutorial approach to building up a page, different examples are used for different tags. Having said this, a reader following the chapter would learn the commands. A two‐page summary of common commands at the end of the chapter might be a useful addition for quick reference. Chapter 8 deals with testing, feedback and updating issues, and Chapter 9 with publicity and marketing.

Having just created our own Library Web site I can say that this book would definitely have been a useful aid and guide. The chapter on planning and strategy alone prompts a systematic approach to the whole project which is probably sufficient reason on its own for buying the book. All of the topics are dealt with in a thorough, practical and friendly way. Chapter and section headings make it easy to find one’s way through the manual to the required topic, and there is an index. There is also a lot of blank space round the text leaving plenty of room for one’s own notes. This is a very good manual covering all aspects of planning Web access in the library, though it is not the one to buy if all you are looking for is an HTML tutorial.