Computers in Libraries 2000: PostConference Workshops

The Technology Conference for Information Age Librarians

PostConference • Saturday, March 18^th

WORKSHOP 12

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Quality Assessment
Hope Tillman, Babson College & Walt Howe, Delphi Internet Services
Information professionals are catalysts for assessing the quality of Internet information. That is our bread and butter. This half day workshop by knowledgeable, Internet gurus, looks at various approaches for determining quality and value to identify quality Web resources and to apply quality criteria to the development of original/synthesized Web resources in order to deliver information customers need. The Dublin Core and other metadata approaches as of March 2000 will be considered as a foundation for discovering and indicating quality information on the nets.

WORKSHOP 13

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
From Paper and Pencil To NT Server: Tracking Electronic Journals
Fannie M. Cox, Librarian, Electronic Resources Coordinator & Weiling Liu, Director, Libraries Technology, University of Louisville
We need to know who is using our electronic journals. How often are they being used? Are they being accessed on campus or off campus? How often are they being accessed off campus? Do they meet the needs of our Distance education program? Can we do a query to see what is being used? How do these numbers stack up against journals being used in-house? Does it matter if we use an IP address or user Id and password to access? Do these questions sound familiar? This half day workshop addresses these issues as they pertain to tracking electronic journals in a university environment and discusses examples of those who have been successful in resolving some of these issues — from paper, pencil and calculator to HTML to NT server. Come and share the discussion about various processes to obtain one goal, usage statistics for electronic journals.

WORKSHOP 14

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Selecting the Best Server for the Library Web
Marshall Breeding, Vanderbilt University
There are a number of possible hardware and software platforms available for the operation of a library Web server. Each option has its relative strengths and weaknesses. This workshop explores a variety of operating systems and Web servers and discusses how each might fit into a library Web environment. The operating environments discussed include: Windows NT, Unix (Solaris, Linux, AIX, etc), and Novell NetWare. Web servers discussed include: Apache, Netscape Enterprise server, and Microsoft Internet Information Server.

WORKSHOP 15

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
New Ways to Work: New Technologies Mean New Org Charts!
Deirdre Grimes, Ontario Legislative Library
Rebecca Jones, Dysart & Jones Associates
Technology is driving the need for new organizational structures. The bureaucracies and hierarchies in many libraries and organizations may not be the best structures for the wired, virtual world. In some cases, these old structures actually hinder our ability to serve patrons and clients, to develop new services or even to implement technologies! Traditional organization charts and reporting lines often don’t fit with today’s virtual services and environments. It’s sometimes hard to imagine what organization structures will evolve. This course is designed to clarify why organization charts, structures and reporting lines must change, what the alternatives are to the hierarchies and organizations we’re used to, and the benefits and pitfalls of “matrixed” structures, “cross-functional teams,” “self-directed work groups,” “communities of practice,” and more.

WORKSHOP 16

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The Extreme Searcher’s Web Finding Tools: Choosing and Using the Right One
Randolph Hock, Online Strategies, Author of The Extreme Searcher’s Guide to Web Search Engines
Web search engines, Web directories, metasites — all are useful tools for finding the right sites efficiently and effectively. For any question though, one tool may be much more appropriate than another. In this workshop we’ll look at which to use when, and the relative strengths, weaknesses and applications of each category of tool. Each of the major directories and search engines will likewise be examined in terms of strengths, weaknesses, and unique applications. As for metasites, we’ll see why this category of tool needs more recognition and how to easily locate the best metasites in any area. The emphasis of the workshop will be on practical applications and on that knowledge which will enable attendees to most effectively and efficiently find the answers they need.

WORKSHOP 17

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Implementing Knowledge Management: An Overall Architecture and Framework
Robert Patt-Corner, Senior Principal Scientist, Knowledge Management, Mitretek Systems
Successful application of technology tools to KM business problems requires a clear map of capabilities that are available and emerging, their relationships to business needs and to each other, criteria for selection, mixing and matching, and issues and solutions at each level of function. This half day workshop provides a comprehensive and vendor-neutral knowledge management architecture that enables an organization to select, position and integrate tools and products to enable knowledge sharing. This semi-technical presentation provides attendees with: a consistent logical visual map of the layers of knowledge management architecture and implementation; the relationship of technology to business need, key business drivers and likely gaps; current products and capabilities in each area, and illustrations of how development and purchased systems can integrate effectively; a detailed case study of a full lifecycle KM implementation; as well as emerging capabilities and key players in new technology areas.

WORKSHOP 18

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Finding & Evaluating Web-based Consumer Health Information
Judy Sherman, Manager, Health Information, The California Endowment
The Internet abounds with health information, and consumers have embraced it as a tool to help them manage their health. Whether it is information about a health care provider, some new treatment, or any of the other infinite health issues that confront the health consumer, the wealth of information can be daunting. The ability to not only find Web sites that provide critical health information but to evaluate the quality of that information is increasingly important as the Internet becomes an integral component of health care delivery. How does one evaluate the quality of this potentially life-saving information? Key variables and factors that are important for assessing quality will be introduced, and techniques will be presented to assist in this evaluation process. A compendium of Web sites providing consumer health information will be provided to demonstrate the points presented.

WORKSHOP 19

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Digital Licensing
Lesley Ellen Harris, author of Digital Property: Currency of the 21st Century
This half day session is for anyone involved in the use or licensing of digital materials. It examines various digital licensing topics and issues from the perspectives of licensees, licensors, and creators. Topics covered include: licensing arrangements generally; the uses of works that can be made through a licensing agreement; duration of a licensing agreement; sublicenses and secondary rights; who owns what; moral rights; compensation; credits; warranties and indemnities; and revocation of rights in certain circumstances. Harris leads participants through a clause by clause analysis of typical licensing agreements and provides them with the opportunity to review and analyze actual licensing agreements.

WORKSHOP 20

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Security Issues and the Library Web
Marshall Breeding, Vanderbilt University
There are a number of issues and concerns related to the security of a library Web server. Libraries need to be able to provide content to their users, yet restrict access from others; they need to authenticate users to verify that they are part of the library’s user base. It is also important that libraries secure a Web server against hackers and ensure that all data on the server is backed up in case of a hardware or software failure. This half day workshop presents information on these security issues and offers practical advice and assistance on maintaining a library Web site with adequate security.

WORKSHOP 21

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Surviving Structure Shock: Changing Your Organization & Continuing to Smile
Deirdre Grimes, Ontario Legislative Library
Rebecca Jones, Dysart & Jones Associates
Everyone agrees that the wired, virtual world we work in needs new types of new ways of working, new competencies and new organization structures. Change is never easy, especially when it means giving up jobs, titles, offices, and “departments” that we’re used to. And teams or “working virtually” sounds terrific, but the road travelled to implement this can be rocky! Using case studies and introducing key processes, this workshop leads you through how to introduce changes to your organization or library’s reporting structure, like teams and matrixes, and still keep smiling and sane!

WORKSHOP 22

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Beyond Yahoo! Subject-Specific Sites on Net
Nora Paul, Library Director, Poynter Institute for Media Studies
Margot Williams, Metropolitan News Researcher & Internet Trainer, The Washington Post
Yahoo! was the genesis, the beginning of a noble attempt to organize the unruly Web. Years later, Yahoo! is still the beginning point for many Web users. This subject-oriented session, by two experienced experts, provides background and guidelines to evaluating resources in specific subject areas, and gives users of subject-specific resources some alternatives to Yahoo! when looking for the most comprehensive and dependable sources of information on the Web.