The library profession is now heavily involved in providing access to information through library websites and it is a challenge to design a website that has reliable content and a user interface that is easy and intuitive to those who use it. As user acceptance and usability are major issues in the design of library websites this paper gives a view of createion a model library website with special reference to NAL libray website.
Identifying and implementing best practice design principles in World Wide Web pages is very difficult task for web developers. Design a good webpage with best resource management is as difficult as write a poem or draw a picture. J Still [1] said "While anyone can create a web page just as anyone can write a poem or build a house, not everyone can do it well". Both resource providers and users face the problem of determining the hallmarks of a well-designed, useful resource on the Web. It is a great challenge to Website designers with the question of how to meld content and form effectively to create useful information resources. In this paper we will show how we have created our library website. How we have managed our own resources as well as usefull resources available at Internet.
2.
Basic Needs
According to L A Clyde [2] "The best preparation for creating a home page
is for library staff to spend some time 'surfing' the home pages of similar
libraries or organisations. This activity will give staff an indication
of what works and what does not, what is interesting to the online visitor
and what is not, and what features make a home page easy and pleasant
to use.
A library website requires an interface that can accommodate the different
needs, scholarly disciplines and capabilities of n number and varied users
within its institution and it should be the best combination of properly
managed resources and the users need.
Some librarians look upon the web, as a gateway to additional resources
on a variety of subject areas. Others think of the web as a communication
tool for their primary users and yet others see that its primary purpose
is to provide information about the innovative services, collections,
and projects going on in the library.
A good library website needs to links connecting all site pages , text
identification of the graphics used on each page, limited use of graphics,
clear navigation, scannability, and functional consistency.[3]
3.
The basic HTML tags
OpeningTag/Closing Tag Description
<HTML>...</HTML> Specifies that the document should be interpreted
as an HTML document. This tag should either be the first line in an HTML
document or should be directly after the <!DOCTYPE> specification.
Likewise, the closing tag should be the last line in an HTML file.should
be the last line in an HTML file.
<HEAD>...</HEAD> Specifies an area where the browser can look to
for general information about the document. It requires a <TITLE> tag
at the minimum.
<TITLE>...</TITLE> Specifies the text that will be used for the
header of the browser frame. Some search engines use this text for keyword
indexing and browsers will use this for naming bookmarks if a user chooses
to bookmark your site. So choose your titles well. This tag goes between
the <HEAD> and </HEAD> tags.
<BODY>...</BODY> Specifies the information that should be displayed
in the browser window. This is the document itself rather than information
"about" the document. The <BODY> tag takes several optional attributes.
<META> None Embeds information about the document. You can use the
tag with the following attributes provided you use it within the bounds
of the <HEAD> element: <META NAME = "Description" CONTENT = "a description
of page"> -Gives a search engine a description to use <META NAME =
"Keywords" CONTENT = "comma separated keywords"> - Gives a search engine
help for indexing<META HTTP-EQUIV = "PRAGMA" CONTENT = "no-cache">
- Tells the browser not to cache the page.
3.1 Basic
HTML to make a minimum webpage
<html><head><title>ICAST Home Page</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta name="description" content="The NAL Library and Information Centre
(ICAST) caters to the information requirements of the Indian aerospace
community in particular and the engineering and technical personnel in
general. ICAST is well known for its aerospace collections of books, journals
and specifically technical reports from NASA, DLR, ONERA, NLR, ARL and
UTIAS. The library has been recognised as the National Information Centre
for Aerospace Science and Technology by the National Information System
for Science and Technology(NISSAT/ DSIR), UNESCO and AR&DB.
<meta name="author" content="ICAST">
<meta name="address" content="http://www.aeroinfo.org.in">
<meta name="publisher" content="ICAST, NAL library, India">
<meta name="keywords" content="nal library, information centre, Indian
aerospace, UNESCO, NASA, Aerospace Science ">
</head><body>………….</body></html>
TITLE ADDRESS/ URL BODY
Figure=1: ICAST homepage
Above depicted is ICAST, NAL library's homepage, wherein the three basic
items of a homepage. (1) Title, (2) Address / URL of the page and (3)
Body of the page is clearly marked. The other sections like, meta tags,
or any scripting code involved into 'HEADER' section are not visible onto
user's desktop.
4 AeroInfo
Before going in details of our new library website let us have a quick
look of our existing website (http://www.cmmacs.ernet.in/nal/icast/).
Figure-2: Existing ICAST website (www.css.cmmacs.ernet.in/nal/icast)
It is a single window information search facility for Aerospace Science
and Technology. It has been already recognised as a World Wide Web Virtual
Library for Aerospace area. It is indexed by many search engines and other
virtual libraries and indexes well known world like IAIN (AGARD), AEROSEEK,
AERADE(Cranefield University), World-wide Virtual Library: Aerospace etc.
4.1 Content Structure
¨ Aerospace Information
¨ Online Journals
¨ Science & Technology Information- Chemistry, Physics, Electronics
etc.
¨ ICAST Information
¨ Indian Academic & R&D Institutions
¨ Especially for Librarians
¨ General Information
4.2 Web/ E-mail Based Information Services
· Access to more than 70 e-journals
· Providing more than 320 journals table of contents
· News paper clipping
· Web Alert Service
· Union Catalogue of journals - CSIR & Aerospace Libraries
· ICAST OPAC (web and telnet access)
The emerging information on the Internet in this area with our ever growing
library resources, managing these huge Internet sources with our own library
resources onto a single window is being faced a serious problem. Hence
keeping this view we have segregated the existing portal into two individual
sites
We are redesigning this 'AeroInfo' portal with more information more user
friendly and atractive.
5 ICAST Site
From http://www.aeroinfo.org.in/library/homepage2.html user can access to our library home page (see fig.-1).
5.1 Content ICAST
For the content creation we have used javascript, CSS with basic HTML
code. The content has been designed in such a manner that 'clicking' frequently
is avoided. By just keeping curson on to item, the further division and
subdivision would be highlighted on the screen (see fig.-3). The page
gives a complete picture of all the contents without going for further
pages, thus avoiding the scroling too. Instead of the customary 'frame',
a table has been created.
We have classified our site into fifteen main links. A very small layout
message will come if user put the cursor on any option, which will give
an idea what and where this link will go. By reading that message if users
want than he/she can click to get spreadseet structure of all links related
to that main link.
Put the Cursor here Put the Cursor on source
ThisWindow will appear automatically
Figure-3 : ICAST Content page
5.1.1 Techniques
With the rich context we have incorporeted some style to visually pleasant.
For example we have used--
<style>…</style> for changing the color for active link, visited
links and hover links. So if you move cursor on to the text, the color
of the the text, icon will change whichever has link to further pages.
When will you click the page the font and color will change againg. And
which page you have already visited will appear on different color.
<script language= "javascript"> …</script> used into header part
to make a very brief scrolling message on down menu bar.
<script language= "javascript">…</script> used for making CSS type
layout menu (Shown on figure-3). But to activate the styles we have used
further java scripting code into body part.
The main code is like: onMouseOver="changelayers ('libpop1','libpop');"
onFocus="changelayers('libpop1', 'libpop');". The function 'libpop' is
for display the short layout message of what is the context of 'Library'
button. Other function 'libpop1' is for display of all the first level
options, if one put the cursor on 'Library' button.
Same way again we have defined two functions for 'OnMouseOver' and 'OnFocus'
for each of the options to get second level layer. For example in figure-3
has marked on 'Sources', i.e. if you put on cursor on to 'Sources' button
one layer will appear.
For that the code will be like bellow.
onMouseOver="changedetails('libpopres1','libpopres2');" onFocus="changedetails('libpopres1','libpopres2');"
And the code to display the option of 'Sources' is as bellow-
<div id="libpopres1" style="position:absolute; left:323px; top:155px;
width:215px; height:104px; z-index:46; visibility: hidden">
<table width="215" border="2" height="104" bordercolor="#C7DAFE" bordercolordark="#C7DAFE"
bordercolorlight="#C7DAFE" cellpadding="4">
<tr valign="top">
<td height="104">
<li><a href="book_opac.htm">Books</a></li>
<li><a href="techreport_opac.html">Technical Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="patent_opac.html">Patents</a></li>
<li><a href="standard_opac.html">Standards</a></li>
<li>…</li>….</td> </tr> </table></div>
This is the basic backgroud to design this content page. From this content
page one can view all the options or he may go the spreadsheet option
one by one.
5. 2 Features of ICAST site:
We have created our site keeping in mind that this will be contextully
rich as well as visually pleasant. We have given various options which
are the common for a library website . Also we have added some options
which we felt should be in a library website (online suggestion form,
online ask librarian option, online bookshops link etc).
5. 2.1 ICAST OPAC
The most important features of a library website, which we have added
into our site is webpac. We have given option to search our library catalog
through telnet (restricted to NAL campus) and Web Access directely from
browser which can be accessable from anywhere in the world. We have provided
many cross reference to access our database. Even we have devided our
WebPAC into several parts. Combine interface to search any database. One
one can search separate database like book, technical report, standard,
patent by 'Author', 'Title', 'Publisher', 'Report No.', 'Keywords' etc.
5.2.2 Ask Librarian
A request/suggestion form has been provided here. Anyone can send their
suggesstion, request or any query to our library through online. That
request would be saved into our structured database. We are using MySQL
database to store these data. The query would be responded through e-mail.
5.2.3 Online Suggesstion
User can suggest a book to purchase by our library online. A prescribed
online form is available onto our site which can be used by our online
users. We have added sub features by including list of 'ONLINE BOOKSHOPS',
'PUBLISHER'S LIST' and 'OTHER LIBRARY LIST'.The data will be stored into
a separate database, which would be regularly checked and response to
sender through e-mail should be provided.
5.2.4 Web-based services
We are covering as many as possible library services through web. Othe
than OPAC we are providing -
5.2.4.1 Access to e-journals - through this service we are providing
to access and download full text articles, but restricted to NAL users.
At the same time we have given access to a good number of e-journals available
free on web
5.2.4.2 Journal TOC- We are providing the contents of all the
journals subscribed by ICAST. We are scanning the content page of each
issuse of every journals and mainting as html file. Very soon we will
go for database type of storage and searching ficilities. We are pleased
to announce the launch of e-mail based Table of Contents Alert Service.
Initially we have a list of 250 journals of whose contents pages will
be e-mailed to you every fortnight. A web-based e-mail form has been generated
for our user to maintain our user profile.
5.2.4.3 New Clipping Service- one of the most appreciated services
we are providing through online. We are covering some leading Indian English
Daily newspaper and few most popular international jaournals (Nature,
New Scientist, Current Science, Aviation Week). News include aerospace,
and related news items, CSIR Laboratories news, S&T news of interest,
specific aspects of IT, Service matter of Central Govt. employees. Though
we are giving search facilities and search from archive but very soon
we will make these facilities into database format.
5.2.4.4 Web Alert- other interesting features of our site. Web
Alert Service is a Current Awareness Service for identifying cataloguing
and disseminating Internet sources on topics of interest to ICAST user
community.
5.2.4.5 Union Catalogue for Journal- we have made and regularly
updating current serials list of forty CSIR labs and Bangalore based Aerospace
Libraries. One can search by keywords from title, or can browse by organization
or browse the title given alphabetically. We are also providing the search
interface to search the catalogue of IISc, NAL and RRI libraries through
IISc server. This would be further extended to the national level.
5.2.5 New feature- we providing direct access to more than 1200
Elsevier e-journals to our scientists. They can search and download full
text article through our site. Very soon we will provide access to other
best publisher's like Springer, Kluwer publications.
6
Conclusion
"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" Alice
asks the Cheshire Cat. "That depends a good deal on where you want to
get to," the Cat replies. "I don't much care where --" Alice says. "Than
it doesn't matter which way you go," the Cat replies. "-so long as I get
somewhere," Alice adds. "Oh, you are sure to do that," says the Cat, "if
you only walk long enough."
Here's the parallel resemblance between Alice in wonderland and the
new ICAST site lies. This site has been created with the sole purpose
of extending all the exhaustive sources, general and specialized web-based
services to the user community. At one stroke, the complete information
has been made available on the page to reach out. As the technology advances,
more and more innovative information is being added to the site and is
continuously updated. At the same time, care has been also taken to provide
cross links to easy out a user's query. As the ICAST mission statement
states "for providing specialized information services using various sources
of information in electronic/print media and adopting developments in
Information Technology for making services much more effective, exhaustive,
dynamic and almost instantaneous", the ICAST's website has taken all the
necessary steps to justify the statement.
Reference:
1. J Still Designing Outstanding Library Web Pages In IOLS97: Proceedings
of the 12th Integrated Online Library Systems Meeting New York 14-15 May
1997 pp127
2. L A Clyde The Library as Information Provider: The Home Page The Electronic
Library vol 14 no 6 1996 pp549-558.
3. N McClements and C Becker Writing Web Page Standards College &
Research Libraries News vol 57 no 1 1996 pp16-17
€Deputy
Head, ICAST, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore, India.
E-mail: poornima@css.cmmacs.ernet.in
§Project
Assistant, ICAST, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore, India.
E-mail: sudip@css.cmmacs.ernet.in
¥
Head, ICAST, National Aerospace Laboratories,
Bangalore, India.
E-mail: goudar@css.cmmacs.ernet.in