CAMLS

Developing a Reference Strategy
That Includes the Web

Cleveland, Ohio............November 12, 1997

Tom Klingler...................Kent State University

• A....Major goal: try to help organize your users' WWW world.
  
  
  1. Just like you've tried to organize their book and
     journal and index and database world.
     
     
  2. Develop a major schema, for example:
     
     
     • directory info, like Yellow Pages, e- mail...
       
       
     • ready reference info, like almanacs
       
       
     • info by subject
       
       
     • news and listserv archives
       
       
     • engines
       
       
  3. Stick to the schema.
     
     
  4. Use the schema in training, in handouts, in presentations,
     and in your online Reference Desk.
  
  
  
  
• B....Build an online Reference Desk.
  
  
  1. Build a desk that shows local character, that spotlights local resources,
     and that reveals your investment of judgment.
     
     ...For example: This desk at IPL.
     
     
  2. Include ready reference links.
     
     ...For example: CWRU's Reference Desk.
     
     ...For example: Kent's Quick Reference.
     
     
  3. Point to the large ready-reference collections that are out there.
     
     ...For example: Ready Reference at the Internet Public Library.
     
     ...For example: Yahoo Reference.
     
     
  4. Be careful of long, alphabetical lists of titles.
     
     ...For example: There is lots of good information here but many users
     won't slog through the long list.
     
     
  5. ANNOTATE!!!
     
     ...For example, this list is less palatable than this one at the USC Electronic Reference Shelf
     
     ...Note: the second page has an organizational scheme with section headings
     as well as annotated entries.
     
     ...This one at Purdue also is annotated and has a small number of general
     reference source categories.
     
     
  6. Point to sites that include site reviews.
     
     ...For example REVIEWS at McKinley.
     
     
  7. Point to sites that are selective.
     
     ...For example, xplore claims to give access to 500 of the best sites in a range of categories.
     
     
  8. Watch for sites with goofy organization and undiscernible schema
     
     ...For example, I have trouble with iTools unless I want to direct my users to a subject list, a French Conjugator, and an Anagram Server!
     
     
  9. Make your desk alive by accepting reference questions via forms
     
     ...For example.... this one from CWRU.
     
     ....or, this one at the IPL.
     
     ....or, this one at Kent State.
     
     
  
  
• C....Arrange the bulk of the links on other portions of your site by subject,
  pointing to the large subject resources lists that are out there.
  
  
  1. ...For example: The W3 Virtual Library.
     
     
  2. ...For example: This old classic based on the Rice Gopher.
     
     and this new version at Rice.
     
     
  3. ...For example: The BUBL project.
     
     
  4. ...For example: Argus.
     
     
  5. ...A subject project by The Readers Digest.
     
     
  6. ...Another subject list, this one by Spectracom
     
     
  7. ...A new twist on subject organization of WWW resources by Webring
     
     
  8. ...And finally, this monster, Yahoo-like list at Berkeley.
     
     
  
  
• D....Provide locally-tuned lists to subject resources.
  
  
  1. ...For example: This sample from Alberta.
     
     
  2. ...For example: This one from Waterloo is followed by nice subject lists.
     
     
  
  
• E....Provide a section of news and mail search tools like these.
  
  
  1. ...e-mail directory, mail control, and yellow pages at Bigfoot.
     
     
  2. ... search news groups and archives at Dejanews.
     
     
  3. ... search news and mailing list archives at reference.COM.
     
     
  4. ... e-mail address search at Four11.
     
     
  
  
• F....Provide an annotated search engine page.
  
  
  1. While this one at LC might be more famous, I like this one too.
     
     
  2. This one from Rice is excellent, as is this one from Berkeley.
     
     
  3. Here's one with good coverage and annotations.
     
     
  
  
• G....Point out AND ANNOTATE your favorite engines.
  
  
  1. Dogpile ...to search multiple emgines at once.
     
     
  2. Webcrawler ...to search by word or category
     
     
  3. Open Text ...to use one of the most powerful engines to search WWW, mail, current events, newsgroups...
     
     
  4. Excite ...to search, surf by channel, get news, do mail,.....whew!
     
     
  5. AltaVista ...I always get the most, best results....
     
     
  6. HotBot...specify time period, continent, media type...
     
     
  7. C-Net Specialty Searches ...search, browse, choose your weapon....
     
     
  8. Northern Lights Which claims to search the entire World Wide Web and 1 million articles not on other search engines.
     
     
  9. Starting Point...pick your engines....
     
     
  
  
• H....Teach courses on how to search the web and how to evaluate information found on the web.
  
  
  
• I....Get as many people involved in building your Web site as you have involved in...
  
  
  1. ...selecting print resources,
     
     
  2. ...working the reference desk,
     
     
  3. ...writing and annotating resource lists and pathfinders,
     
     
  4. ...training users on online tools, and
     
     
  5. ...organizing library materials.
  
  
  
  
• J....Don't use a nuclear reactor to boil an egg.
  
  
  1. Sometimes the paper __World Almanac__ is more efficient than any search engine.
     
     
  2. Remember that most Web search engines work by slogging through
     billions and billions of keywords.
     
     
  3. Suggest a Web search engine in reply to general questions like: "I need current prices of some antique coins."
     
     
  
  
• K....Teach your users how to use their browser's "FILE" and "SAVE AS" commands to save the results from an engine search and review later.....AFTER LUNCH!!!!
  
  
  
• L....Don't forget Dilbert
  
  
  

Copyright 1997 by Tom Klingler ....All rights reserved

Site address: http://www.personal.kent.edu/~tk/camls02.html