Journal of Web Librarianship
Volume 1
Number 1
2007
EDITORIAL
Jody Fagan
SOCIAL EYES
Welcome to Social Eyes
Brian S. Mathews
GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
The International Dunhuang Project
Sarah Beasley and Candice Kail
ARTICLES
Web Access to Electronic Journals and Databases in ARL Libraries
Dana M. Caudle and Cecilia M. Schmitz
Libraries are investing heavily in an
increasing number of electronic journals and providing access to them through
their websites. We set out to determine if ARL academic libraries
offer the same options on their
websites to access electronic journals and databases. Using a checklist, we evaluated the
websites for the presence of an A-Z lists, links from the catalog, a way to
search electronic journals by title and subject, and a link to databases. We
determined whether the library subscribed to more than one version of a
journal; how they displayed coverage information; what their cataloging policy
was if they cataloged their electronic journals (i.e. single vs. multiple
records); and whether the holdings in the catalog were the same as the holdings
on the list. We looked for the presence of citation linkers, federated
searching, and subject searching of databases. Finally, we wanted to know if
the links for the electronic journals went to a table of contents or directly
to an article. Since we consider web page design to be an integral part of
access, we asked a series of subjective questions designed to evaluate how
various design features affected access. We determined the type of documentation; how easy it was to use;
how and where the instructions were presented; and
the amount and layout of links on the main page. We concluded that while some
practices are widespread, ARL libraries are not as uniform in their treatment
of electronic journals and databases as one might assume.
KEYWORDS:
Electronic journals, ARL Libraries, subscription databases, e-journals,
e-resources, library web pages, link resolvers,
federated searching
Stop Reinventing the Wheel: Using Wikis for Professional Knowledge Sharing
Anne-Marie Deitering
and Rachel Bridgewater
This article details the development of the Library Instruction Wiki (http://instructionwiki.org): an effort to develop a
web-based, knowledge-sharing resource. Though some library instruction is
specific to a given institution or class, much of what instruction librarians
teach is similar. Library instructors have repeatedly expressed the desire to
share resources, ideas, and expertise. With the increasing presence of social
software applications, the options for technology-enabled knowledge sharing
have grown dramatically in recent years. The success of Wikipedia
illustrates how wikis can be used to build collective
knowledge-building projects. The authors describe the process of using a wiki to build such a resource. Drawing on research
connecting communities of practice, information and communication technology,
and knowledge management, the authors also examine the social and cultural
challenges they faced trying to use communication technology with a dispersed network
of practitioners. Implementation details including software selection and
installation, customization, and marketing are discussed. A year after its
initial launch, contributions to the wiki have slowed
despite consistent and enthusiastic support for the concept. The authors
examine possible reasons for this limited activity, and suggest next steps for
this wiki and for further research.
KEYWORDS: Wiki, library instruction, information literacy, knowledge sharing, communities of practice, OLA / LIRT, MediaWiki
A Literature Review of Academic Library Web Page Studies
Barbara A. Blummer
In the early 1990s, numerous academic libraries adopted the web as a
communication tool with users. The literature on academic library websites
includes research on both design and navigation content. Early studies
typically focused on design characteristics, since websites initially merely
provided information on the services and collections available in the
university’s physical library. Beginning in the late 1990s, technological
developments coupled with digitization efforts offered new opportunities for
websites with commercial and local databases, electronic journals, e-books, and
virtual reference. The availability of new content and services on library
websites facilitated research efforts comparing these features among academic
library websites. During this period articles, also emerged that considered
navigation and usability issues for these pages. The literature on academic
library web pages documents efforts by libraries to utilize web technologies
and resources to serve user groups. However, the research also suggests these
efforts were hindered by design and navigation issues with academic library web
pages. It remains especially important that libraries consider design in the
development of their web pages to maximize usage of content.
KEYWORDS: Library web pages,
literature review, design characteristics, navigation, usability issues, review
article, academic libraries
Firefox Search Plugins: Searching Your Library in the Browser
Michael Sauers
Mozilla’s Firefox web browser is well-known among
developers for its functionality and extensibility. Now, with a market share of
more than 8 percent, Firefox is becoming more popular
with library users and offers opportunity to increase access to library tools
through browser plug-ins. This tutorial explains how to integrate the library
catalog into the Firefox search bar. Step-by-step
instructions are provided for interpreting your library catalog’s URL
structure, building an XML file that will control how the search box functions
when your search is selected, creating an icon, and testing the new search
tool. This tutorial is appropriate for beginning to intermediate users.
KEYWORDS: XML, browser extensions,
browser plug-ins, library catalogs, Firefox
From Zero to Wiki: Proposing and Implementing a Library Wiki
Jon Haupt
This case study describes the process of proposing and implementing a wiki for use in an academic library setting, based on the
process used by
KEYWORDS: Wiki, intranets, academic libraries, PmWiki, library web pages
Measuring the Success of the Academic Library Website Using Banner Advertisements and Web Conversion Rates: A Case Study
Michael
D. Whang
Measuring website success is critical not only to the web development
process but also to demonstrate the value of library services to the
institution. This article documents one library’s approach to the measurement
of website success. LibQUAL+™ results and strategic
planning documents indicated a need for a new type of measurement. The current
literature on e-metrics focuses predominantly on vendor-based network
statistics and reporting standards and other collaborative projects by various
academic libraries around the world, such as the International Organization for
Standardization, National Information Standards, Project COUNTER, and
Association of Research Libraries. There is no evidence within the body of
library literature of academic libraries incorporating the use of e-metrics to
measure the success of the library website in relation to library strategic
planning and marketing. The purpose of this research paper is to consider how
academic libraries can use web-conversion rates as a managerial tool for
measuring a website’s success and provides an outline for further research into
a more strategic application of e-metrics as it relates to library strategic
planning and marketing.
KEYWORDS: Strategic planning,
marketing, e-metrics, assessment, web conversion rate, web banner
advertisements, academic libraries, customer, LibQUAL+
REVIEWS
Professional
Phillip M. Edwards, Review Editor