Library Web Pages

Your library Web page is your second front door. It meets your students where they live, play, and work! It creates signage for students and staff. The effective library Web page pulls together, in one unified interface, all of a library's resources--print and electronic. It offers guidance while it fosters independent learning. It models careful selection. It offers valuable public service and can redefine “community.” It can even lead users back to print. A good library Web page, whether in traditional HTML, or blog, or wiki format, offers implicit instruction and projects an important image of the librarian as an information professional.

The Task

Building a virtual library takes a lot of careful planning. But why reinvent the wheel?

You will be working in age-level groups to evaluate a selection of library Web pages. Each member of the group will be responsible for evaluating these sites from a different perspective. You will be ranking the sites and noting their unique features. Following your group investigations, you will be sharing these features with the larger group. . As you explore be on the lookout for features you might want to include in your own site.

Resources

You will each be responsible for completing an organizer, focusing on the perspective you assume within your group.

Directories of Library Web Pages:

Peter Milbury's School Librarian Web Pages http://www.School-Libraries.Net
Peter Milbury's School Libraries.org: Online Resources for School Librarians http://www.school-libraries.org/resources/
School Libraries and Librarians on the Web: Online Models for Effective K-12 Internet Use http://www.cusd.chico.k12.ca.us/~pmilbury/ten.html
School Libraries on the Web (Linda Bertland) http://www.sldirectory.com/
Innovative Internet Applications in (Public) Libraries http://www.wiltonlibrary.org/innovate.html
School Library Web Design
Open the Door. Let 'em In. eVOYA, April 2007. 1-3.

Examples of Best Practice:

Elementary

Barley Sheaf School Library (NJ) http://www.frsd.k12.nj.us/barleylibrary
CIC Elementary http://www.cic-caracas.org/aboutcic/elementarylibrary.shtml
Gombert Elementary http://gombert.ipsd.org/lmc.asp
North Elementary Library Media Center (IN) http://www.nobl.k12.in.us/media/NorthMedia/index.htm
Palmerston Resource Centre (Australia) http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au/resource_centre/rc_main.htm
Parkcrest Library Media Center http://library.parkcrest.sd73.bc.ca/
Underwood Elementary http://uwe.leesummit.k12.mo.us/lmc/

Middle/Junior High School

East Side Middle School Library (IN) http://www.esmslibrary.com/
East Woods School http://www.eastwoods.org/ewslibrary/Interactive/libraryhome.htm
Glade Spring (VA) Middle School Library http://www.wcs.k12.va.us/schools/midd/gsms/lib.htm
Orchard Park Middle School Library http://www.opschools.org/middleschool.cfm?subpage=70
St. Andrew's Episcopal http://www.standrews.austin.tx.us/library
Walter Reed Middle School http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Reed_MS/Library/index.html

High School

Berea HS Media Center (SC) http://bereahigh.org/Media/media.htm
Blue Valley West High School Media Center http://www.bv229.k12.ks.us/bvw_lmc/
Carthage High School http://www.carthage.k12.mo.us/hs/media/
Chico High School (Peter Milbury) http://melvil.chicousd.org/
Community High School. District 94 http://www.district94.dupage.k12.il.us/lrcweb/lrcindex.htm
Dr. Charles Best Secondary School Library
Episcopal High School Underwood Library http://www.ehshouston.org/Research/
Gladstone Library Resource Center http://gladstone.vsb.bc.ca/library/index.htm
Glennie High School Library http://www.glennie.qld.edu.au/irc/index.htm
Greece Athena Media Center http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/ath/library/
Harry Ainlay High School Library http://www.ainlay.ca/library/index.html
Hunterdon Central IMC http://central.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/imc/
Lakeview High School (MI) Library http://server.remc12.k12.mi.us/lhslib/
Lawrence High School Library http://library.lhs.usd497.org/
Marathon Middle/High School Library Media Center http://www.monroe.k12.fl.us/mhs/media/default.htm
Melbourne High School (AU) http://www.mhs.vic.edu.au/home/library/
Newton North High School http://www.nnhs.net/library/
Northfield Mount Hernon Library http://www.nmhschool.org/nmhlibrary/index.php
New Trier Township High School http://nths.newtrier.k12.il.us/library/default.htm
St. Andrew's Episcopal http://www.standrews.austin.tx.us/library/
Stelly's Library http://www.stellys.sd63.bc.ca/library/default.htm
Swan View HS Library
University Laboratory High School (Frances Jacobson) http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/library/
Whippany Park High School (Michelle Kowalsky) http://www.whippanypark.org/library/

Pathfinders

Springfield Curricular Pathfinders pathmenu.html
Pathfinder for Creating Pathfinders http://home.wsd.wednet.edu/pathfinders/path.htm
Internet Public Library Pathfinders http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/
Morton Grove Public Library’s Bibliographies and Pathfinders http://www.webrary.org/rs/bibmenu.html
Pathfinders for Kids -- Indianapolis Marion Public Library http://infozone.imcpl.org/kids_pathfinders.htm
Lakewood High School Pathfinders http://www.lkwdpl.org/lhs/lhspath.htm
Camden County Subject Guides/ Pathfinders http://www.camden.lib.nj.us/reference/subject.htm
Vandergrift’s Pathfinder http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/YoungAdult/path.html
Designing Pathfinders for Children and Young Adults http://www.eduscapes.com/earth/path3.html
U. Wisconsin--Stout Pathfinders http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/pathfinders.shtml

The Process

Your group of 3 or 4 will evaluate five library Web sites. You make select the sites you are going to evaluate. The group may elect to focus on elementary, middle, or high school pages, depending upon the interests of the participants.

Divide your group into the following three specialties to cover ground more efficiently.

1. Content specialist:

Does the site represent library services comprehensively?
Is there content beyond links? Can you understand the content? Is it written at an appropriate level for student understanding?
Who is the intended audience? Does the content work for them?
Are the links well-chosen? sufficient?
Currency: Can you tell how well the site is maintained? How often is it updated

2. Usability/Design

Is the site easy to navigate (user-friendly)?
Is the real estate used effectively? How much scrolling must be done on the first page?
Who is the intended audience? Does the design work for them?
Is there a well-labeled contents area?
Are there any errors in spelling or grammar?
Do the links on the site work?
Do all the design elements (graphics, art, buttons, etc.) enhance the message of the site? Is there consistency in the basic formats of each page?
Do the pages appear clean, uncluttered?

3. Special Features

What does this site often that others do not? What is unique here?
How valuable are these unique features valuable to students, staff, community?
This specialist is responsible for recommending special features for consideration to the entire group.

Each group member should complete his/her own organizer through the perspective they are assigned.
As you examine each site, record any relevant information in your chart/organizer. Begin to rank the sites 1 through 5, with 1 being your favorite. (Note: all of the sites represent "best practice." You are looking at them as they relate to your community's needs.)
As you examine each site, consider the features you might want to include on your own site. Make sure your "special features specialist "includes them on his/her list/
Each group should select a presenter/recorder to take notes on group discussion and share findings with the large group, and a discussion leader, whose job it will be to make sure each member gets a chance to contribute and to lead the group toward reaching a consensus about favorite sites.
Everyone should be prepared to share Web sites and the group's findings and rankings with the larger group.

Conclusion

Our colleagues have been pioneers in organizing the Web and making it more usable for their own communities. We can build on their work as we build our own virtual libraries. We can contribute to the growing body of library work on the Web.

Back to Virtual Library

Last updated June 29, 2007

Based on a template from The Webquest Page.