LM_NETTERS, you asked for a hit and here it is! I=92ve grouped the =
responses that poured in into three categories: generous sharings of =
webpages, advice, and expert sources. I have tried to combine these to =
avoid repetition. Thanks for all your support, colleagues. I=92ll post =
my site around April 1st.
LM_NET WEBPAGES
www.ainlay.ca/library/ =
http://www.chichesterschools.net/middle/mslibrary/index.html
http://www.sccatholicschools.org/heelan/library.htm
http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/LearningCenter/pages/home.html
http://tazewell.k12.va.us/schools/ghs/cyber_library/index.htm.
http://ameshigh.net/mc/
http://www.sandsprings.k12.ok.us/Library/
www.east-china.k12.mi.us/scm/media=09
http://www.cambria-friesland.k12.wi.us/library/library.htm
http://www.cfbisd.edu/lib/bsh/bshbookmarks.html
ADVICE
Barbara Paciotti=92s Top 10:
1) Keep it short--no more than 2 or 3 screens to scroll. Use links to
other pages of support material.
2) Name of school--doesn't have to be huge, just noticeable enough to
identify. I can't tell you how often I see school/library pages with no
idea of who they belong to.
3) Use the Title tag with school name or abbreviation and page name!!=20
That's what's displayed when students bookmark your page at home and is
what search engines will "spider" for.
4) School colors, especially if your school's website uses the school
colors and you are linked directly from it
5) School mascot image--not too huge (the kids love it). Use the ALT
tag to add school slogans or mascot name for search engines.
6) List of links to your school's online services that are accessible
from school and home, clearly indicated which (see below for easy
"secret" way to include the IDs and Passwords on the page)
7) Brief notice of important library event, activity, or news (as a
link to more details if you need it)
8) Links to your webpages or teachers' webpages with links for current
assignments
9) Your email address. Can be a mail-link in the "Page created/updated
by" line.
10) Date the page was last updated--month and year are usually =
sufficient.
http://www.cfbisd.edu/lib/bsh/bshbookmarks.html
On line services Home Access IDs & Passwords:
Scroll to the black area at the bottom of the page and highlight the
area at the left between the red link and my name. Through the
highlighting you will see the access info for those services that need
it. (When creating the page, type the info, then highlight and make the
font color the same as the background color). I teach all the students
this little gimmick when I do my online trainings at the beginning of
each school year. No handouts, no remembering--it's right there when
they need it and they seem to think it's some kind of magic and I'm the
magician!
INCLUDE:
basic policies and rules,
links for general and student-focused search engines.=20
A link to the school catalog
links to our state library catalog system (so that they can request =
interlibrary loans)
include sites for dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.
links to your library's subscription databases
student guide to citing sources,=20
links to sites for parents and the community=20
a list of book recommendations for your students.
AVOID
animated icons, sounds, clutter, links to links, and images that take a =
long time to load.
FROM THE EXPERTS
Teacher Librarian is publishing an article in the February issue on how
to evaluate a school library web site, that includes the list: "Top 10
characteristics of an AWESOME web site."
It is being printed and mailed out this week. If you are not a
subscriber, check your university library, or ask a prof as many are
subscribers. In addition, TL is indexed (though this takes a bit of
time) in Ebsco and Proquest as well.
If you're interested in an easy way to see some examples, here's a list =
of
lots:
http://www.sldirectory.com/
Examples of school library pages that have won awards:
http://www.iasl-slo.org/web_award.html
How to write webpages:
http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/wpages.html
Web Design for Librarians
Nicely done overview of the basics of good Web design. From the =
Scholarly Communication Center at Rutgers University.=20
http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/scchome_old/policies/web.htm=09
Writing for the Web: A Primer for Librarians
Basic concepts and terminology which are associated with writing =
documents for the Web. It is not an in-depth HTML guide, but a general =
introduction to the topic.=20
http://bones.med.ohio-state.edu/eric/papers/primer/webdocs.html=09
Thanks again.
Karen Lindsay, teacher-librarian
Reynolds Secondary School
3963 Borden Street
Victoria, BC, V9P 3H9
Tel. 205-479-1696 ext. 239
klindsay@sd61.bc.ca
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