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| Table of Contents | Previous Issues | Subscribe Now! | |||||
| VOLUME 26 • NUMBER 6 • November/December 2002 | |||||||
| •
HARDCOPY •
Next Wave Consulting, Inc. |
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This
month I look at community involvement, from how to best utilize and
digitize community information, to how to write for better community
understanding of your Web site, to thoughts on community leadership.
And, as a counterbalance, read about the super searchers who have struck
out on their own.   Online Community Information: Creating a Nexus at your Library by Joan C. Durrance and Karen E. Pettigrew ISBN:
0-8389-0823-3 This book presents the key results from a major research study that examined the role of the public library in helping citizens obtain community information over the Internet. The researchers are both academics. Joan Durrance is professor and coordinator in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, while Karen Pettigrew is an assistant professor in the Information School at the University of Washington, Seattle. The book starts with trying to quantify how the public uses networked community information (CI) and identifies some of the barriers to access. Several examples are then provided of libraries that have digitized and organized information for the public, often in conjunction with other community organizations. The most interesting sections deal with best practices and case studies of libraries that are providing unique or exceptional community information services. However, you get just a very quick glimpse at the activities, with not enough insight into how the libraries actually accomplish and manage this valuable service. URLs are provided, though, so you can visit each of these organizations and see for yourself what kinds of services are offered. There is also an extensive bibliography that covers both the historical and current aspects of providing community information to the public. If you are looking at ways to expand your role in providing community information, this book will help you understand the current situation in most public libraries, but it won't give you actual hands-on guidance for expanding or developing your own community information service. by
Rachel McAlpine
ISBN:
1-58008-223-8 This
witty and practical guide to writing for the Web should be required
reading for everyone who designs or manages a Web site. The author,
a New Zealand-based writing coach and consultant, has a knack for
pointing out the absurdities in many of the common Web designs, starting
with her opening sentence of "Welcome to my book." She highlights
the difference between writing for print and writing for the Web and
manages to whittle all the verbiage down to the five items in the
"Bill of Writes": Write to be found; Write to be skim-read; Write
to be understood; Write to be trusted; and Write to get results.
In
addition, she provides an excellent chapter on writing for an international
audience and the confusion that can easily arise for those trying
to read or interpret slang-filled English. There is also an interesting
chapter on how to write headings, titles, and links to help make your
content more accessible for those searching and skimming your pages.
The
book also covers how to add keywords, titles, and descriptions to
your Web pages to maximize retrievability by the general search engines.
How long should a title be? What words will your users be searching,
and how can you add them to your page in such a way that it does not
detract from the usability of the content?
I
write content for Web sites nearly every single day, and I learned
a lot from this book. I'm sure that you will, too.
by
Suzanne Sabroski, ISBN:
0-910965-59-5 This
tenth book in the Super Searchers series focuses on the trials
and rewards of running your own business, written by someone with
lots of experience in doing just that. Although many research sources
and techniques are mentioned, the main thing you will gain from this
book is how these 11 people took the leap into successfully running
their own businesses. Some planned for years, others fell into it,
but all of the interviewees clearly expressed a joy and zest for what
they are doing. In fact, they all have difficulty stopping work—a
trait I've noticed in just about every self-employed person I've encountered.
Another
common theme: All felt experience and contacts were crucial to their
success. Few could imagine being successful at running their own research
service just out of school. A broad range of industry experience and
key contacts are the best preparation tools.
A
few other revealing findings: Working from home is now quite acceptable,
and being a sole proprietor instead of a corporation tends to be easier
and perfectly adequate for most individuals. There is a huge reluctance
to hire employees. Sub-contractors and colleagues are preferred when
additional assistance is needed. Most felt that specialization is
required—pick your niche and focus on it. No one can do everything,
so pick what you are good at and stick with it.
If
you have any yearnings towards being your own boss, read this book.
It actually makes it all sound easier than it is, but will also give
you inspiration for going it alone.
by
Harlan Cleveland
ISBN:
0-7879-6153-1 It
is joy to read this man's writings. His insights cover the experience
gained in over 60 years of leadership in private and public organizations,
and yet his outlook is ahead of what is happening today, not necessarily
looking back at what has happened.
The
book contains 14 essays, all reworked from previous publications of
the author. The historical perspective adds a depth to the thoughts
that would not be possible from one who had not been involved in public
affairs for so many years. The book is divided into two parts. The
essays in the first part document how society has changed so that
basically no one person is in charge. Things are too complex for one
person to know it all. Part two then states that since nobody is in
charge, everyone has the chance to be in charge. However, most people
will not necessarily rise to the challenge of being a leader, so only
a few leaders emerge. Several of the essays discuss the roles of leaders
and the effect of organizational structure and information flow on
getting things accomplished.
A
recurring theme through many of the essays is the impact of knowledge
or information on leadership, and the changes that will be wrought
in our societies as we move to an economy based upon resources that
are shared rather than exchanged. Information is not scarce, and both
parties tend to gain when it is shared. And leaders need to be generalists
to understand and coordinate the disparate pieces of information that
are being shared by the people s/he is to lead.
Take
the few hours necessary to read this book and then sit back and reflect
on the ideas presented. I guarantee you will find yourself with at
least one "ah-ha" experience.
 Deborah
Lynne Wiley (deb@consultnw.com)
is Principal of Next Wave Consulting, Inc.
Comments? Email the editor at marydee@infotoday.com. |
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