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December 2003 LibraryNet Monthly TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. ACCESSIBILITY STUDY OF FRENCH WEBSITESThe Quebec Foundation for the Blind, together with the W3Québec and the Nazareth & Louis-Braille Institute, recently released the results of a web accessibility survey of French-language websites. 84% of the 200 sites surveyed had poor to very poor performance when evaluated for compliance with Priority 1 and Priority 2 levels of the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. Websites tested included those from the provincial and federal governments, corporations, and the disability services sector. The three sub-categories with the best results were disability services, rehabilitation centres, and organizations for persons with disabilities. The Canadian government sub-group ranked fourth, while the Québec government ranked 10th out of 17. The three least accessible sub-categories were sports and leisure, arts and culture, and careers and employment. The most common types of errors were HTML or CSS programming errors (95%), no alt text for graphics, buttons and maps (77%), and headers absent or used in illogical order (77%). The study makes recommendations for website owners and designers as well as for the federal and provincial governments. Specifically, the study calls on the Quéébec government to amend its disability legislation to compel provincial ministries and public organizations to implement web accessibility standards. To read the complete study: 2. LIBRARIES AND ADULT BASIC LITERACY SKILLS IN THE UKA new British report, "Mapping the Territory: the links between museums, archives and libraries, and adult basic skills," provides basic data on the ability of museums, archives and libraries to contribute to the UK government's drive to improve the basic literacy and numeracy skills of adults. The report covers the full spectrum of activities, from making museums, libraries and archives more welcoming to the delivery of basic skills courses. According to the report's findings, 84% of responding institutions offer some type of outreach or promotion to reach adults with basic skills needs. Case studies of best practices are included to help others build on the contribution made by these programs. The study was funded by Resource, the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries and conducted by the National Literacy Trust. According to Sue Wilkinson, Director of Learning and Access at Resource, "We already had evidence on the importance of libraries in this area, but this new report shows for the first time that museums and archives have an important role to play." To read the full text of the report: 3. SCHOOL LIBRARIES STILL BUILD SKILLSYet another research study has confirmed the link between the quality of school libraries and student achievement. Professor Donna Baumbach of the University of Central Florida analyzed library staffing, collections, and Internet access in more than 1700 media centers across the state. The results showed that well-staffed, well-stocked libraries increased elementary reading scores by 9 percent, middle-school scores by 3 percent, and high school scores by 22 percent. Even better results came when certified media specialists (rather than teachers or clerks) staffed the library. There was a direct correlation between the amount of time a library was professionally staffed and the number of students in the school who read at grade level; test scores were more than 20 percent higher in elementary schools with a full-time professional librarian and assistant than in schools with only part-time staff. All libraries with certified media specialists also had more books per student, more subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals, more computers per student, more student visitation, and higher circulation. For more highlights from the study: Meanwhile, a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle criticizes increasing spending on technology in schools when other programs such as art, music, shop and physical education are being cut back or eliminated. Todd Oppenheimer, the author of a book critical of computers in classrooms, argues that "technology is dumbing down the academic experience, corrupting schools' financial integrity, cheating the poor, fooling people about the job skills youngsters need for the future and furthering the illusions of state and federal education policy." According to Oppenheimer, computers (especially in the lower grades) add little to the educational experience and have many more drawbacks than advantages. To read the full text of the article: 4. HOW MUCH IS THE BRITISH LIBRARY WORTH?On December 10, a new study of the British Library's impact on the economy of the United Kingdom was released. The Library claims that "for every £1 of public funds the Library receives it generates over £4 of value to the UK economy." Using a technique known as Contingent Valuation, the Library attempted to estimate its contribution, both direct and indirect, to the UK's economy. The resulting figure of £363 million is likely to be "conservative," according to the Library, since the study did not analyze the complete range of products and services which the Library offers. The study is the first of its kind ever carried out by a major UK cultural institution. In examples from other countries, a study of the National Bibliographic Database of the National Library of New Zealand estimated it was worth 3.5 times its cost; and a study of the St. Louis Public Library found that it produced added value between 2 and 10 times its public funding. The Library intends to commission future studies to measure changes in value over time. For more information [in PDF format]: 5. KEEPING UP WITH GOOGLEA recent article in Information Today by Gary Price asks "Why do more and more people believe that universal truth is just a click away via a single source [Google]? Most importantly, what does this mean for the information professional?" According to Price, the library world has not done enough to define our role in the online age. He suggests that we should make the most of word-of-mouth marketing by targeting information "gatekeepers" such as journalists, teachers, or key members of a company, and demonstrating what libraries offer. Price suggests eight excellent starting points for library promotion. Number one is "Reach out to people who haven't been in a library in many years. Point out that library services go way beyond the four walls of the library building." To read the full text of the article: Another recent article urging librarians to learn from Google appeared in Library Journal's October 15 issue. Leo Klein's essay "The Expert User is Dead" criticizes bibliographic experts, whom he says are fixated on giving users what the experts think they need rather than what the users really want. According to Klein, the expert user is dead "because we can no longer get away with designing for expert users only." Klein maintains that assuming library users are just like us is the biggest mistake that information professionals make. Most library users carry over their Internet search habits into proprietary database searching: results that come up first are most likely to be utilized; users do not scroll down or click to go onto the next page of results; nor do they refine their searches or use complex search syntax. Their objective is to seize on something usable as quickly as possible, so they can complete their research projects. Information professionals may regret this, but we are not in a position to change peoples' habits easily. Therefore, Klein argues, we need to work with naïve users rather than against them, by designing library websites with easy-to-use interfaces rather than complex sites for sophisticated searchers. To read the full text of the article: 6. BRITISH LIBRARY AND AMAZON.CO.UK TEAM UPThe British Library and Amazon.co.uk have come to an agreement which gives Amazon the right to use the British Library's database of bibliographic records for 2.5 million books. The largest impact is expected to be on the buying and selling of rare and out-of-print titles, a far wider selection of which can now be listed on Amazon.co.uk. Until now, Amazon sold only books with an ISBN (International Standard Book Number), which was introduced in 1970, meaning no books prior to that date were listed on the website. The British Library records include 1.7 million which pre-date the introduction of the ISBN. Now records such as a 1961 edition of "Gone With the Wind" are listed in Amazon's database. Once a work is located, buyers can contact a rare or used bookseller through Amazon's listing of third-party vendors. Natalie Ceeney, Director of Operations and Services at the British Library said, "The Library's alliance with Amazon.co.uk is a wonderful way to make our catalogue data relevant and available to an even wider audience." For more information: 7. AMERICANS GETTING ATTACHED TO THE NET AND CELL PHONESA new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that landline telephones and the television are beginning to diminish in importance as information and communication tools for many Americans, especially those in their twenties. The study "Consumption of Information Goods and Services in the United States" found that one-third of Americans can be defined as highly tech-savvy. These Americans all use the Internet, are very likely to have cell phones, and are more likely than other Americans to have personal digital assistants and to have used leading-edge technology services, such as connecting to the Internet wirelessly. The most enthusiastic technology adopters are most likely to report a decrease in telephone calling because of the Internet and a tendency to use cell phones as a way to make long distance calls. These users are also most likely to have either canceled a home phone line because of their cell phone or have seriously considered it (though still only 7% have done so). As this technical elite migrates away from the telephone and old media, the Internet and the computer have become their communication devices of choice. On a typical day, young tech elites are nearly as likely to get their news from the Internet (39%) as from TV (45%). When asked which technologies it would be "very hard" to do without, more named their computer, cell phone, and the Internet than the telephone or television. The study was based on a survey of 1,677 Americans from October 2002. To read the full report: 8. WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETYAt this month's UN World Summit on the Information Society, more than 170 countries approved an ambitious call to extend the Internet and the benefits of information technology to the poorest corners of the world. However, the practical decisions and difficulties of doing so remained unaddressed. In particular, the summit put off a decision on whether to set up a special fund to finance the necessary technology infrastructure. Around 90 percent of the world population still has no access to the Internet, creating the digital divide between rich and poor. However, richer states (notably Japan and the European Union) strongly resisted calls from developing countries for a "solidarity fund" to help close the gap. As a compromise, states agreed to study the issue further and report back before the follow-up summit in Tunis, Morocco, in 2005. Also postponed was a recommendation on the overall management of the Internet. Developing countries had pressed for a greater role for the UN or intergovernmental agencies in a business currently left to the private sector in rich states. The summit did endorse a declaration of principles which calls for using telecommunications technologies, such as the Internet and cellular telephones, to help boost economic growth and meet UN targets for eradicating extreme hunger and poverty by 2015. For more information: 9. TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS IN CHINABy the end of 2003, the number of China's Internet users is expected to hit 78 million, according to a report by the Internet Society of China. The number of Chinese websites is expected to increase to 500,000, and Internet-connected computers to reach 30 million. However, Hu Qiheng, chairwoman of the society, was quoted as saying the Internet sector in China still lagged behind developed countries. The number of Chinese Internet users stood at 68 million people by the end of June 2003, according to the China Internet Network Information Center. The semi-official research center said that at the end of 2002 China had overtaken Japan as the world's second-largest group of online users, behind only the US. For more information: E-books and publishing are also news in China these days. Researchers at Southwest China Normal University are working on an e-paper prototype, combining organic transistors with e-ink that could be sprayed at low cost on virtually any material: plastic, metal, cloth, or conventional paper. As well, Beijing will be the site of the Second International Conference on the Future of the Book in August 2004. The conference will address a range of issues relating to the future of the book, as well as its past and the state of the book industry, books and reading today. And an ebook reader pre-installed with teaching materials, the "Peking University e-Learner," will be gradually introduced to 1200 schools during this academic year. For more information: 10. RICHMOND PUBLIC LIBRARY WEBSITE HONOUREDThe Richmond (B.C.) Public Library's redesigned website has been named WebJunction's "Library of the Month" for December 2003. The library's new website was recognized for its innovative use of web technology, quality of content, and design. The planning process that went into the redesign was also recognized as a key element of the site's success. The redesign was intended to make the site more user-focused, and the community has responded positively. Since the launch of the site a year ago, online traffic and transactions have increased substantially. The library's "traditional" service areas have also benefited: circulation has increased, program attendance is at an all-time high, and the number of online questions and comments about library services continues to grow. WebJunction is an online community of libraries sharing knowledge and experience to provide public access to information technology. It is run by the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and partners and funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information: To visit the Richmond website: 11. U.S. SURVEY ON THE PUBLIC LIBRARYDr. Lee Miringoff, Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, conducted a national poll on which library services are important to the public and how willing people are to approve extra tax monies for libraries to obtain those services. "The Public Library: A National Survey" found that those polled would be willing to pay (on average) an additional $49 for library service in their community. To read the full report [in Powerpoint format]: 12. INTERNET CONTENT STILL EPHEMERALA recent paper in the journal Science looked at footnotes from scientific articles in three major journals (the New England Journal of Medicine, Science and Nature) at three months, 15 months and 27 months after publication. The prevalence of inactive Internet references grew during those intervals from 3.8 percent to 10 percent to 13 percent. One of the authors of the study, Robert Dellavalle, says that he thinks this phenomenon is "like the library burning in Alexandria. We've had all these hundreds of years of stuff available by interlibrary loan, but now things just a few years old are disappearing right under our noses really quickly." Other recent studies have found that 20 percent of the Internet addresses used in a web-based high school science curriculum disappeared over 12 months, and that 40 to 50 percent of the URLs referenced in articles in two computing journals were inaccessible within four years. As a following article in the Washington Post pointed out, the disappearance of web content affects much more than footnotes. The Internet is increasingly a major way in which companies, organizations, and governments disseminate important information. For example, the British government's dossier on Iraqi weapons appeared only online. The Post article goes on to discuss potential solutions to the problem, such as the Internet Archive and digital object identifiers (DOIs), as well. To read the full text of the Post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A8730-2003Nov23?language=printer The original study's citation is: The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) of the U.S. Library of Congress has just published "It's About Time: Research Challenges in Digital Archiving and Long-term Preservation." The report presents findings and recommendations from a joint Library of Congress/National Science Foundation workshop on research challenges in digital preservation, which was attended by experts from government, academia, professional organizations, and the private sector. The workshop identified a number of priority areas for research into new models, methodologies, and tools for long-term preservation of digital material. To read the full text of the report (in PDF format): On the other hand, a recent article in the MIT Technology Review claims that the "increasingly vocal group of computer scientists and archivists who argue that we are in danger of losing our cultural heritage - or at least that part of our cultural heritage that we have been foolish enough to commit to electronic storage devices" are wrong. In "The Myth of Doomed Data," Simson Garfinkel says that "not all digital material is worth preserving - most, in fact, is not," but that data of essential value will be preserved by migrating it into modern formats. To read the full text of the article: 13. INTERNET FILTERS IN PUBLIC LIBRARIESA recent report from the First Amendment Center outlines the history of the use of Internet filtering software in American public libraries and analyzes the US Supreme Court's June decision upholding the Children's Internet Protection Act. "Internet Filters and Public Libraries" by David L. Sobel, general counsel of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, provides background on the development of the technology, the history of legal challenges, and the case against filters. Sobel concludes that despite the Supreme Court's CIPA ruling, "it appears likely that the final chapter on mandated content controls has not yet been written." To read the full text of the report [in PDF format]: 14. CALLS FOR PAPERSJustin Winsor Prize The Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) is now accepting submissions for the 2004 Justin Winsor Prize for the best library history essay. Named in honour of the 19th century librarian, historian, and bibliographer who was also ALA's first president, the Winsor Prize consists of a US$500 cash award and an invitation to have the winner's paper considered for publication in the journal Libraries and Culture. Essays should embody original historical research on a significant topic in library history, be based on primary sources (whenever possible), and use good English composition and superior style. Manuscripts submitted should not have been previously published, previously submitted for publication, or under consideration for another award or publication, and should not exceed 35 double-spaced typewritten pages (not including footnotes and bibliography). Papers must be received by January 30, 2004. For more information on how to submit a paper: Polar Research: Let Us Share: Amiqqaaluta The Organizing Committee of the 20th Polar Library Colloquy is now inviting proposals for papers and posters. The theme of the conference is "Sharing Knowledge about Polar Research." Proposals should indicate whether the information is to be presented in a paper (a formal presentation with text to be published in the proceedings) or a poster (a display of information about a topic which will not be published in the proceedings), and include the official title. For papers, please provide an abstract of 100 words or less. The official language of this international conference is English. The deadline for proposals is February 15, 2004. For more information: Proposals can be submitted to: OCLC Systems & Services Journal The new editor of OCLC Systems & Services is looking for articles for the 2004 journal issues. OCLC Systems & Services is a peer-reviewed journal which provides wide-ranging coverage of developments in the web-based delivery of cultural content. The journal is intended for information professionals, librarians, educators, students, and researchers around the world. It aims to keep readers informed about current trends in research, and to report on new initiatives and developments. Possible article topics include: digital libraries and repositories; web metadata standards; web markup languages; digital preservation; imaging and digitization techniques; and usability studies. For more information, or to submit an article: 15. CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTPublic Library Association National Conference 2004 Public librarianship is constantly evolving in order to meet new challenges like shrinking budgets, rapidly changing technology, and customer demands for new types of services. PLA 2004 will show you how to meet these challenges and help your career and your library thrive. For more information or to register: 16. CONTINUING EDUCATIONCurrent Awareness Services on the Net This online course will teach you to harness the information-gathering power of the Internet to stay on top of new developments in your field and keep up-to-date with the latest news and current affairs. Participants study a broad range of current awareness services available on the net, including email alerts, filtered news sources, and the latest in personal agents. The course includes trial accounts to leading fee-based information providers. The fee is CDN$395. For more information or to register: 17. USEFUL INTERNET RESOURCESThe Disability Portfolio PIKA: Canadian Children's Literature Database New France, New Horizons: On French Soil in America Scout Portal Toolkit Combined Library Job Postings Searchy Biographies Polysearch Engines BiblioExpress Observatory of the Information Society Directory of Open Access Journals London Review of Books Online If you have information you would like featured in the next issue of LibraryNet
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