Hillingdon too, has a library presence on the authorities home page..
On the question of the library management system accommodating non-
catalogue content, this is not an issue with the SirsiDynix Enterprise
Portal System (EPS) with Rooms. We are implementing this in September when
the OPAC will becomes a portal - a gateway to information incorporating :
- Search box with Serial Solution's product Central Search (federated
searching) to search the library catalogue, electronic subscriptions (ODNB,
Xrefer, Gale products etc), Archives database etc - all at the same time...
- Information and links to much of the information normally found on a
library home page
- RSS feeds
- Virtual Spaces or ROOMs. Library staff with no web editing skills can
gather high-quality information according to subject areas and then present
that content in virtual spaces called "Rooms" such as a READING room or a
HEALTH room etc.
You can a flavour of an earlier version of EPS at
http://www.cherryhill.lib.nj.us/rooms/portal/page/Sirsi_HOME
or
http://knoxrooms.sirsi.net/rooms/index.jsp
Derrick
Derrick Fernandes
ICT & Information Services Development Manager
Planning and Community Services
Library services
Uxbrdge Central Library
High Street
Uxbridge
UB8 1HD
01895 250701
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-----Original Message-----
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Frank Black
Sent: 20 May 2007 21:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Library links
It is in my opinion important for the future well-being of both virtual and
traditional that library services establish and maintain a presence on the
home page of their authority's website. One particular problem for
libraries is that there are typically two access points to online library
services - the libraries home page and the library catalogue. This is for
historic reasons with catalogues developing ahead of other online services.
My view is that these two entry points should ideally be one and the same
place. The difficulty is in library management systems accommodating the
non-catalogue content which is currently on hosted on council web pages.
The need to match the Local Government Navigation List and the fashion for
dynamic areas such as What's On, News, Featured Items and Popular Areas
make it increasingly difficult to achieve two library related links.
By my calculation only 22 out of 203 local authorities have direct links
from their home pages to both the library service home page and to the
library catalogue whilst around 55 have neither type of link.
Perhaps this is an area where the MLA could make use of it's government
links to persuade the DCLG of the need for library links to find a
permanent home on LA websites?
Incidentally the successful authorities are Buckinghamshire, Bury,
Derbyshire, Dorset, East Lothian, Enfield, Gwynedd, Hampshire, Kent,
Leicestershire, Merthyr Tydfil, Merton, Middlesbrough, Norfolk, North
Ayrshire, Oxfordshire, Powys, Richmond , South Gloucestershire, Tameside,
Westminster and York.
For those interested, my list of authorities and their links is at:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pX608qwlm6kosD1uS7k7AVg
- I have ignored indirect links where several clicks are required and links
to general 'Leisure and Culture' or 'Education and Learning' pages but have
included links where a drop down box is used instead of a direct links. I
apologise for any errors which I might have made in individual checks
Frank Black
Bath, Avon
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