WEDNESDAY, MAY 17

9:00 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.
OPENING PLENARY SESSION
Moderator: Pamela Cibbarelli, Cibbarelli’s

Current State of Library Automation: IOLS Technologies, Marketplace Trends, and Future Expectations
Marshall Breeding, Vanderbilt University
Marshall Breeding, former editor of Library Software Review, will provide an assessment of the current state of library automation. He will describe some of the current trends in the development of library automation systems, the types of technologies used in these systems, and the progress the major vendors are making in their latest-generation systems. Many libraries are implementing new library automation systems. Breeding will describe some of the trends he sees in the systems libraries are selecting. Although the library’s IOLS and online catalog remain the cornerstone of the library’s operation, most libraries are increasingly involved in providing access to a variety of other Web-based information resources. Breeding will suggest a few trends to watch for in the library automation arena.

TRACK A

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 
A1 • Integrating the IOLS into the Library Web Environment
Moderator: Pamela Cibbarelli, Cibbarelli’s

Designing an OPAC from the Ground Up
Nancy B. Turner, New Mexico State University Library
New library automation systems with Web-based online catalogs offer a high degree of configurability to meet the needs and desires of individual libraries. This requires more technical involvement of the librarians. In exchange for this steep learning curve, every aspect of the OPAC, from the design of buttons and labels to indexing options and help screens, can be developed and manipulated in-house by library staff.

This presentation describes the decision-making process currently being used by New Mexico State University librarians as they implement their new online catalog. Using Endeavor’s Voyager system, they are able to configure specialized indexes, relevancy rankings for searches, and design the navigational path for their patrons. Their development process also includes user group testing. 

Creating an Integrated Electronic Course Reserve System
Scott Herrington and Philip Konomos, Arizona State University
The Arizona State University (ASU) libraries struggled for several years with a stand-alone, turnkey electronic course system, trying to make it work smoothly with the libraries’ other computer-based systems, including the online library system (III). After two years the library decided to abandon this system in favor of one to be created in-house. The requirements for this new system were fairly simple: it had to integrate with the existing online library system, making it possible for patrons to link from the online catalog to full-text articles; it had to be Web-based, to allow all forms of media as well as full text; it had to integrate with the existing (also developed in-house) authentication system used to authorize access to other restricted library resources, and it had to be functionally similar to the existing course reserve system.

The libraries’ Systems department and Access Services department worked closely together for several months to develop a system that met all of these requirements. In addition to describing how the system works, and the hardware and software used, the presenters will also demonstrate how the system works to retrieve electronic course materials.
 

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
A2 • “Pushing” Reference Services
Moderator: Pamela Cibbarelli, Cibbarelli’s

“Pushing” Reference Services: The Southern California Model
Susan McGlammery, Metropolitan Cooperative Library System
Push technology is familiar to many of us in the form of advertising served to us based on our individual interests and information delivery profiles for Web searching tools. But what if we, as reference librarians, could “push” the Web pages containing the information needed in response to a reference question to the computer screen of a patron, even if the patron were off-site! A consortium of public libraries in Southern California is beginning to do just that with a process that combines “chat” technology and “push” technology.

Evaluating Home Pages for Small Business Information: A Case Study
Hong Xu, University of Pittsburgh
More and more public libraries are utilizing the Internet to convey information to their patrons. However, unlike the carefully created professional standards that have been used by librarians to create catalogs, bibliographies, and other tools of the trade, very few guidelines have been established for the creation of library Web home pages. Additionally it is unclear if the library community has heeded these suggested guidelines or whether the content of library Web pages is meeting users’ needs. This paper will utilize some of the criteria that other authors have completed for home page design to evaluate the small business information-related home pages of seven large public libraries in the United States: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Chicago Public Library, The Free Library of Philadelphia, New York Public Library, San Francisco Public Library, Seattle Public Library, and Tucson-Pima Public Library. The results of a previous pilot survey on the information needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs conducted by the author will also be used to help evaluate the content of these sites.
 

12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 
Lunch Break - A Chance to Visit the Exhibits
 

1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
PLENARY SESSION  • Today’s IOLS: A Reality Check
Panel of Library Automation Executives
Executives from leading library automation software companies will discuss the current trends in the industry, including Web interfaces, emerging standards, operating systems considerations, and what to expect during the next decade.
 

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Workshop • Creating Web-Enabled Databases with DB/TextWorks and WebPublisher from Inmagic, Inc.
Marshall Breeding, Vanderbilt University
Creating Web sites based totally on static Web pages is becoming increasingly untenable as Web sites expand to include larger amounts of information. Data must be managed and organized, and not simply listed. It is important to be able to manage information in a database environment, yet provide easy access to that information through the Web. DB/Textworks is one of the most popular database products used in libraries, and is widely used in corporate and other special libraries. Through Inmagic’s WebPublisher application, information in DB/TextWorks can easily be published on the Web. This presentation will demonstrate a number of Web-enabled databases created with these products for the library environment.

Examples include:

• a resource of Electronic Journals
• a problem tracking system for a library computer support department
• a directory of library catalogs
• an online catalog of bibliographic information

TRACK B

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 
B1 • The Connected Library
Moderator: Richard Boss, Information Systems Consultant, Inc.

How Information Technology is Transforming the Design of Library Buildings
Alexander Lamis, Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Richard Boss, Information Systems Consultants, Inc.
The development of information technology has had significant consequences for the ways the physical library is conceived and constructed. One consequence is the understanding of the physical needs of equipment and systems as they effect spatial organization, lighting, mechanical and electrical systems, and so forth. The second, more interesting and speculative effect is to understand how the library as an institution is being transformed, and the types of services a library can now play in its community. This expanded and transformed role has a significant import for librarians, trustees, architects, and all other stake-holders in the success of libraries. Lamis will draw from real-world experiences designing libraries throughout the United States, as well as looking at other recently completed and more historical projects. 

Lamis will stress that the present is a time of great possibility for libraries as institutions, but also of peril as traditional library services are being eroded by alternative means. Libraries must adapt to be relevant — but also can greatly expand their impact by providing new services and attracting new groups of users. In these issues both technological function and physical form are of great significance.

Richard Boss, renowned for his library automation expertise, will supplement Lamis’ presentation with additional insights and perspectives from a librarian’s viewpoint.
 

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
B2 • Electronic Journals & Databases
Moderator: Howard McQueen, McQueen Consulting

Database Driven Electronic Journal Web Pages
Frances Knudsen, Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Library Without Walls
Electronic journals have become a very integral part of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Research Library’s collection. Managing the metadata associated with electronic journals — URLs, passwords, holdings, etc. — can quickly become an overwhelming task. The Research Library stores all of the metadata in the online catalog. This data is then exported to build our electronic journals Webpage. Having one place to store all of this information has facilitated the growth of our electronic journal collection and has also increased access points for electronic journals for our customers. The presentation covers the steps to implement this model, the pros and cons to this approach, and the ever-increasing benefits to this model.

Access to External Databases: CD-ROM or Web?
Sharon Yang, Rider University
CD-ROM databases were very popular until recently, but their use is declining because of the availability of Web technologies. Many companies have mounted their databases on the Web. Users can access those databases through any browser as long as they have Internet access. Because the databases are located remotely, libraries no longer need to purchase servers and CD towers to house CD-ROMs, nor do they need the expertise to maintain the systems. However, there are also inherent sacrifices, including compromised access speed, Internet traffic jams, and ISP downtime. Local customization may not be possible since libraries do not have control over the remote systems. Some of the most valued databases may not be offered by vendors through the Web. Access and copyright present other problems. Passwords may not be an ideal way to control access. Licensing agreements may limit the number of users. The pros and cons of both delivery mechanisms will be discussed to assist those professionals caught in the turmoil of deciding between CD-ROM or Web access.
 

12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 
Lunch Break - A Chance to Visit the Exhibits
 

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
B3 • Supplementing the Web OPAC: Selecting and Integrating Electronic Resources
Moderator: Howard McQueen, McQueen Consulting

Local and Remote Web Access at Arizona State University: The Critical Mix
Dennis Brunning, Arizona State University Libraries
Arizona State University students, faculty, and staff access electronic resources from a variety of sources, including a local Web-enabled online system (InnoPac), one of the larger academic ERL servers (SilverPlatter) for access to a variety of information services, and Web-access to remote services over the Internet.
Technological developments and the resultant economies have evolved the model of the outsourced server. Libraries that perceive themselves without the resources or inclination to load content locally embrace the idea of letting someone else worry about the hardware, software, and telecommunications.

In Arizona’s consortium of three university libraries (Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University), we employ two different models. Arizona State University and Northern Arizona State University use a mixed model — a combination of local and remote Web access. The University of Arizona has elected to access commercial information services and publishes exclusively over the Web. 

This presentation examines the reasons for selecting one model over the other and the advantages and disadvantages of each. It also investigates how well the two models work within a consortium. Two initiatives within the consortium are also introduced: to unify ERL access to a server within the consortium and to consolidate online catalog access through a Union catalog.

Evaluating Web Products against CD-ROMs
Thomas Edelblute, Anaheim Public Library
One of the duties of the Public Services Computing Group in the Anaheim Public Library is to evaluate new products for purchase. In making the evaluations, the group tries to obtain the best value for print, CD-ROM, and online resources for library customers. This paper reviews the evaluation of two Web products that were considered as replacements for their CD-ROM counterparts. In both cases, the Web-based product from the same vendor as the CD-ROM product was considered. In the case of NewsBank newspapers, a positive recommendation came from the group to replace the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times CD-ROMs with their Web counterparts. In the case of Reference USA the group gave a negative recommendation and American Business Disc continues to run on Anaheim’s Wide Area Network. A discussion of the evaluation that led to these decisions is presented.
 

4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
B4 • Authentication, Access, and Security 
Moderator: Howard McQueen, McQueen Consulting

Not Here, Please: Securing Public Access Workstations Using the Internet Explorer Administration Kit
Fred Nesta, Saint Peter’s College Libraries
E-mail and chat users can tie up your limited OPAC or database workstations, frustrating your patrons who want to do research. Microsoft provides a free software application called IEAK, The Internet Explorer Administration Kit, to corporate managers and Internet Service Providers that allow them to make modifications to Internet Explorer. By using the Profile Manager of IEAK, you can create a list of restricted sites and block users from sending forms or using Java at those sites. The Profile Manager also lets administrators modify all of the functions of the browser, providing additional security. The new profile is distributed by simply adding a subfolder with the restrictions to the Internet Explorer directory. This presentation introduces you to IEAK and outlines the steps needed to modify your copies of Internet Explorer.

Informing Remote Users About Access to Restricted Databases: A Survey and Recommendations
Daniel E. Burgard, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jim Cunningham, Milner Library, Illinois State University
The past few years witnessed explosive growth in the number of academic library users accessing electronic databases from outside the walls of the library. Technological advances facilitated the rise of distance education programs and also allowed for reasonably fast network access from home via commercial Internet service providers. Both distance education students and traditional local users not operating on the campus network are beginning to demand equitable access to electronic resources traditionally restricted to use from on-site computers. Libraries are rightfully responding to this demand by using a variety of means for authenticating remote users. This study will examine how libraries are informing users about such remote access. 

A survey of libraries in the ILCSO (Illinois Library Computer Systems Organization) Consortium is being conducted to determine whether they are using remote authentication and, if so, how they are informing users about remote access possibilities. Results will be presented and recommendations will be made about methods libraries could use in dealing with this issue. The desire and need for remote access to restricted databases will only grow larger, and libraries are increasingly finding ways to satisfy the need. It is vitally important that there be an intellectual linkage between needs and resources in the form of access guidelines for remote users. The study will shed light on this issue and assist libraries and their remote users in the joint quest to satisfy information needs.
 
 

THURSDAY, MAY 18
 

9:00 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.
OPENING PLENARY SESSION
Moderator: Pamela Cibbarelli, Cibbarelli’s

Project URL Revisited: A Web-Based Resource of IOLS Information
Thomas R. Kochtanek, School of Information Science and Learning Technologies, University of Missouri-Columbia
Karen K. Hein, School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Project URL is a team effort that originated during the course of identifying electronic resources that promote access to information about Integrated Online Library Systems (IOLS). Forty-plus graduate students who were enrolled in a Fall 1998 Web-based asynchronous distance learning graduate level course, “Library Information Systems,” were asked to search the Web for resources that contribute to and advance the topic of IOLS. A large number of sites were identified, and a project team was assembled for the purpose of identifying duplicate sites and organizing those unique URLs identified by their classmates. The team objective was to review these Web-based sources in depth with the task of adding value and commentary to those sites that met certain criteria of excellence.

The resulting product is a metasite of URLs that points to information about IOLS vendors, e-journals and e-journal articles that address IOLS topics of interest, and general information sources that might be accessible to support library professionals involved in decision-making processes for integrated library systems. Recent efforts have been made to add to this base of IOLS resources. 

This presentation will focus on changes and updates made to this site since last year’s plenary presentation at the IOLS ’99 conference.
 

TRACK C

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
C1 • Measuring the Effectiveness of the Library Web Site: Statistics, Usability, Surveys
Moderator: Pamela Cibbarelli, Cibbarelli’s

Necessary Steps in Library Web Site Revision: Previewing and Beta-Testing
Catherine Cardwell and Stefanie Dennis, Bowling Green State University
In August 1999, Bowling Green State University’s Libraries and Learning Resources (LLR) unveiled its new Web presence after extensive planning, developing, and testing. First, LLR formed a committee comprised of staff members to conceptualize the potential design. The committee envisioned an aesthetically pleasing, efficient online workspace, one providing intuitive access to information about resources, services and staff members. Not only did the site have to accommodate novice and expert researchers, but it also had to serve onsite and remote users effectively. Other guiding principles included providing multiple access points to information and abandoning an administratively organized site for one organized according to the way users appear to search for information. About six weeks before the unveiling, a preview of the new page was made available so that users and staff members could provide feedback and thus contribute to the revision. Problem areas in the new site were identified and revised. Participants pointed out areas where information was too sketchy, illogically placed, or omitted and where language was still structured too much toward library staff members rather than end users. This process of review and revision made our second-generation Web page a success.

Chaos or Control Freaks: Academic Library Web Site Evaluation and Management
Jeanie Welch, Atkins Library, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Welch discusses various means of evaluating and managing an academic library Web site as a part of the library’s service mission. Many library Web sites had their origins in the mid-1990s when they were hurriedly thrown together and posed to create a Web presence. The time has come to integrate Web-related responsibilities formally into library policies and procedures, including integration of Web site management functions and the evaluation of their usage and effectiveness. 
Web site management includes: establishing the lines of authority for responsibility for top-level Web pages; the establishment and communication of guidelines for design and content of library-wide, department, and individual Web pages; the provision of access to equipment software and training; and the reconfiguration of job responsibilities and job descriptions to reflect Web-related activities. The establishment of guidelines for design and content include guidelines for Web page maintenance and evidence of revision. 

The evaluation of the effectiveness of an academic library Web site can be done through the application of traditional usage and evaluation techniques. A three-pronged approach to evaluation is discussed.
 

11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
C2 • Design and Development of the Library Web Environment, Part 1
Moderator: Pamela Cibbarelli, Cibbarelli’s

Actionable Data: Gathering Decision Making Information to Organize, Evaluate, and Market Your Website
Elaina Norlin and Patricia Morris, University of Arizona
During recent years there has been a drive to show accountability for budgetary decisions. This comes at a time when libraries are buying more specialized and costly electronic (full text, digital and multimedia) resources and making them available on the Web. In order to justify this trend, most libraries have started assessing customer needs and usage of new electronic resources before making any long-lasting decisions.
This presentation introduces the concept of “actionable data” and how librarians and information professionals can use this technique for quicker, more reliable and easier-to-interpret results and still remain customer focused. How and when to combine qualitative and quantitative research to eliminate ambiguous findings and how to get more buy in and participation from administrative decision makers while you are conducting the research are demonstrated.

The Long and Winding Road to a Virtual College Library for the 21st Century
Judith Liebman, Mercy College
Liebman will present the objectives and strategies for developing a library Web site for a midsize college and the impact it had on the institution. The first part of the presentation will review the steps the librarians at Mercy College took in the planning process, including summaries of some of the discussions, the evaluative methods that were used and the results of their initial efforts, and the sequence of additions, revisions and deletions that took place to get to the current look and ease of use of the Web site. The second part of the presentation will be the affect the development of the Web site had on the library faculty and staff, the committees that were formed and how it impacts other areas of the college, i.e students, faculty development and research, and distance education. The final part of the presentation will be the current state of the Mercy College Virtual Library and the plans for its continued development.
 

12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 
Lunch Break - A Chance to Visit the Exhibits
 

1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
C3 • Design and Development of the Library Web Environment, Part 2
Moderator: Howard McQueen, McQueen Consulting

Politics as Unusual: Academic Library Web Site Development in its Institutional Context
Frank Lepkowski, Oakland University Library
Academic libraries create their Web presence not in isolation but as one unit within a university or college that in turn projects its own Web presence. The overall style and standards selected by the university usually arise from marketing concerns with projecting an image of the institution. The university’s striving for uniformity results in a house style that subsidiary units are expected to follow. These concerns may be in conflict with library goals for presenting information in a manner that is clear, user-friendly, and delivery-oriented. At Oakland University the Communications and Marketing department controls the university’s presentation on the Web. This department in 1996 mandated a standard style which the library followed in developing its first Web presence. However, as the site was used, it became clear that the graphic style set by the university worked against the library’s goals for user-friendly, delivery-oriented Web presence. Initial attempts to revise the Web site within the constraints of the authorized style resulted in an unsatisfactory presentation for the library’s purposes. Abandoning compliance to the authorized style enabled the library to create a simpler, clearer format, which allowed for more front loading of important links, cleaner presentation of the library’s message, and more efficient use of screen real estate. More recently, the Communications and Marketing department rejected a design for the library’s webcat homepage. The library is currently involved in the university’s Web redesign project and hopefully will make its interests felt in whichever house style that ends up being adopted. 

Digital Darwinism: Evolution of the Library Web Site
Anne Platoff, Arizona State University Libraries
The explosion of online databases that are being made available by libraries has created a significant challenge to librarians. How do we make these resources available to our users? Most libraries started with a simple Web site that was little more than a list of links. However, increases in the sheer volume of materials that are offered through the library Web site have forced adaptations in the approach to developing a library Web site. This presentation examines the evolution of the Arizona State University Libraries’ Web site, beginning with a complete redesign during the summer of 1997. It will focus on the libraries’ efforts to develop a site that is usable from the patron’s point of view. Topics included will be the design of standard navigational features, incorporation of instructional elements at all levels, a recent redesign of the gateway to our electronic research tools, user testing, and plans for the future. Evolution of our Web sites will position libraries to compete in the dynamic information environment of the World Wide Web.
 

TRACK D

10:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Workshop • Negotiation of Contracts with Library Vendors
Richard Boss, Information Systems Consultant, Inc.
Contract negotiation is one of the least documented aspects of library automation. One of the most respected consultants in the field of library automation shares his insights into the process. The presentation includes insight into what items are negotiable by some vendors, but not others; what items are always negotiable; suggested phrasing of some areas of contract language; and establishing reasonable expectations.
 

12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 
Lunch Break - A Chance to Visit the Exhibits
 

1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
D1 • Vendors’ Perspectives
Moderator: Marshall Breeding, Vanderbilt University

Developing Native Windows NT Applications: Challenges and Benefits
Michael J. Frasciello and Steve Blind, Gaylord Information Systems
Before developing an application native to the Microsoft^® Windows^® NT operating system and processing environment, the development staff must determine the benefits of deploying an application on the NT platform. These benefits are based on business goals, system objectives, market demands, and technology trends. A comparative analysis of operating systems and processing platforms should be conducted prior to development.

Understanding the possibilities of the Windows NT processing environment is the first challenge in developing a native application. Early adopters of the Windows NT platform have found that their development staffs are more creative because there are no pre-conceived limitations. These staffs are also experiencing shorter development cycles because native Windows NT development provides consistent, well-integrated tools in Microsoft’s VisualStudio™ development environment. Microsoft’s visual development tools are designed specifically for the NT operating environment — reducing development time and eliminating the need to port or convert code.

Native Windows NT applications are easy to deploy because the NT operating environment provides all the necessary tools in an integrated and powerful suite of utilities. The result is an integrated system that is easy to deploy and ultimately to use. By utilizing all the technologies on which it is based, a Windows NT-based system is powerful, graphical and familiar to end users and system administrators. Managing a Windows NT-based system is simple because of the extensive, graphical management tools available with the platform. If developed properly, the application will “plug into” these tools and provide a seamless, consistent management kit for system administrators.
 

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Wrap-Up Workshop • Library Automation Software: Today’s Best Options
Pamela Cibbarelli, Cibbarelli’s
Pamela Cibbarelli, editor of Directory of Library Automation Software, Systems and Services, will profile the leading IOLS software, including features and functions of the most successful library automation packages on the marketplace today. If you haven’t purchased IOLS software during the last four years, the changing faces of the key players will surprise you. Today’s best selling products may have seemed only a “gleam in the eye” a couple of years ago. Conversely, some of the firms formerly thought to be the most stable have undergone changes of ownership and delays in the release of new products.