Portals and Libraries

Cutting-edge information about providing access to research library users The ultimate goal of librarians is to provide comprehensive informational access to library users. Portals and Libraries provides an in-depth look at various libraries' challenges and the cutting-edge technology used in providing high-quality electronic access to users through portal systems. Respected authorities detail efforts to build a new kind of search and retrieval system that includes access to the Web as well as other vital collections and academic resources. The book discusses the implementation of access systems and their supporting technology, and spotlights strategies designed to encourage quality system-user feedback, increase the cooperation and diligence of staff, and more. Portals and Libraries comprehensively reviews library portals from their roots to their current state, with a look at assorted products, their implementation issues, and each one's advantages and shortcomings. The overall state of the portal system today as well as where it is heading in the future is examined in detail. The book also provides the ARL Scholars Portal Working Group Final Report from May 2002 summarizing the group's work from its inception, and includes their recommendations of key portal features and needed functions. The text includes helpful screenshots, useful descriptive figures, and extensive references. Portals and Libraries discusses: - the history of library portals - the MyLibrary@NCState Web portal after five years of use - Portals to the World Library of Congress guide to Web resources - the role integrated library systems will play in the future of portals - features and services to be added to library portals for greater success - portal technologiestheir structures and functioning - planning portal implementation - online catalogs - usability testing and interface design - nine key issues that will impact the future of portal development Portals and Libraries is crucial reading for library educators and students, college and research librarians in reference, library system professionals, and technical services professionals focused on applying cutting-edge technology to library services.

Michalak, Sarah C.

- Acknowledgments - Introduction (Sarah C. Michalak) - Chapter 1. The Internet Public Library and the History of Library Portals (Susanna L. Davidsen) - Chapter 2. MyLibrary@NCState: A Library Portal After Five Years (Karen Ciccone) - Chapter 3. Portals to the World: A Library of Congress Guide to Web Resources on International Topics (Carolyn T. Brown) - Chapter 4. The Portal World and the ILS: A Commentary (Sandy Hurd) - Chapter 5. If You Build It Will They Come? Services Will Make the Difference in a Portal (Ann Marie Breznay and Leslie M. Haas) - Chapter 6. Library Portal Technologies (Krisellen Maloney and Paul J. Bracke) - Chapter 7. Issues in Planning for Portal Implementation Perfection Not Required (Olivia M. A. Madison and Maureen Hyland-Carver) - Chapter 8. Online Catalogs and Library Portals in Today's Information Environment (John D. Byrum, Jr.) - Chapter 9. Usability Testing, Interface Design, and Portals (Jennifer L. Ward and Steve Hiller) - Chapter 10. Environmentalist Approaches to Portals and Course Management Systems (Alison E. Regan and Sheldon Walcher) - Chapter 11. The Association of Research Libraries ARL Scholars Portal Working Group Final Report, May 2002 (ARL Scholars Portal Working Group) - Chapter 12. Looking Ahead: The Future of Portals (Mary E. Jackson) - Index - Reference Notes Included