Creating Internal Web Tools for Collection Development Collection Building Allison Level and Sarahmyers Volume 22

Introduction

Creatinginternal Web Collectiondevelopment is a time-intensiveand tools for collection multi-facetedfocus in most libraries. In academiclibraries, the selectionresponsibilities development oftenfall to subjectbibliographers or reference Allison Leveland librarians.The historically paper-driven environmentof publishercatalogs, order slips, Sarah Myers forms,procedures manuals, and written policy statementshas givenway to amoreWeb friendlyworkflow. Digitizing your collection developmentworkflow is now easier with Intranetsand Web authoring tools. The relevantinformation is much more readily The authors available foreveryone included in collection developmentand acquisitions throughout the is aReference Librarian in Collection Allison Level library.When undertaking this type of project, Management and Sarah Myers isaLibrary Technician IIin itisimportant to take abigpicture review and Collection Management, both at at Colorado State notjust make a one-to-onetransfer of the files University in Fort Collins, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. and forms. Transformingpaper content to electronic Keywords formatis not new. It has beendone successfully Internet, Collections management, Worldwide Web foryears with journalsand books, but libraries have beenslow to capitalize onthe Web’s Abstract possibilitiesfor more routine or often mundane internalprocesses such as formsfor collection Collection development activities are an important and developmentand procedures manuals. The ongoing component ofevery library. The historically Webfocus has beenutilized to updateand paper-driven environment ofthis work is changing. With capitalize onthe externaland public face ofthe intranets and Web authoring tools, digitizing your collection libraryfirst, before spending time on the development workflowenables libraries to have an internalroutines. increased level ofefficiency and accessibility. This article Thecollection management unit at the outlines the creation, development, and implementation of ColoradoState Universitylibraries includes Web accessible collection development tools. These tools faculty andstaff. Thegroup facilitates the integrate procedures, forms, policies, and library effortsof all the subjectlibrarians within organization Web sites. Information about project revisions, referenceservices to identify,evaluate, and modifications, and suggestions for future projects is selectmaterials and information resources to included. Acoordinated collection development Web site supportthe university’s missionof teaching, may consist ofonline tools, Web resources, work-flow research,and service. In Spring 2001, atask processes, instructions and other information for selectors and library staff,as wellas information for library patrons. groupin the unitembarked on a projectto digitizeinformation needed by selectors,library faculty, librarystaff, andpatrons. The Electronic access three-partproject included converting a The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at selector’s manualfrom paper to aWeb-based http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister format,creating a selector’s toolbox,and The current issue and fulltext archive ofthis journal is collectionmanagement Web site. available at Theunit used a papermanual of collection developmentand management procedures and http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0160-4953.htm policiesuntil recently. This information was Collection Building retooledand is now easily available via the Volume 22 . Number 4 . 2003 . pp. 162-166 # MCBUP Limited . ISSN0160-4953 Intranetfor internal library use. With libraries DOI10.1108/ 01604950310501744 movingalong the digitalpath processes, 162 Creating internal Web tools for collection development Collection Building Allison Level and SarahMyers Volume 22 . Number 4 . 2003 . 162-166 standards,procedures, and manuals are tagging internalWeb page for collection development rightalong. Why isit importantto have whichwas anarticle update of apresentationat procedures,policies, and links to resources AmericanLibrary Association(ALA). In the online?An online tool allows for good articlethey lookat toolsfor bibliographers and organization,faster searching,and saves listsfor selecting Web resources. physical space.They arealso available 24/7and Otherarticles discuss Web resources of usein canbe updated more easily. TheWeb resource the collectiondevelopment process. Brown contentallows for greater efficiency, and faculty (1999) andArlen et al. (1998) focuson URLsof andstaff stay currentby havingthe mostrecent importancesuch as AcqWeb,Technical informationavailable onthe Web.In addition ProcessingOnline Tools (T-Pot), reviewsites, to the onlinemanual and toolbox, plans were vendorsites, and subject Internet guides. madeto createpublicly accessible pages that Holmberg(2000) focusesspecifically on the use wouldbe of helpto academicfaculty andothers ofpublishers’Web sites for reference collection with aninterest in how materials are selected by development.Intner (2001) discussesthe the libraries. impactof the Interneton collections and the importancethat isplaced on the Internetas a resourcefor collection development. Literature review

Thereare several articles in the literatureon Project development usingthe Webfor acquisitions or collection developmentand the impactof the Interneton Tobegin the projectat the CSUlibraries, theseresponsibilities. There are far fewer modelsfor the manual,toolbox, and Web site articleson creating internal Web tools and werecreated. The models were a springboard onlineresources to supportcollection forthoughts on how the Webpages would be developmentresponsibilities. Two early articles usedand valued. The models and feedback about Webpages for acquisitions work include wereespecially helpful as part of the creative Henderson’s (1996) articlewhich outlines process.It is important to notethat inthe materialoriginally presented at the Association processof creatingand demonstrating the forLibrary Collectionsand Technical Services models,the task groupstayed opento different (ALCTS)Automated Acquisitions/ In-Process ideas. ControlDiscussion Group. In the article, Hendersonhighlights some of the early Web Manual technologiesincluding Gopher, Telnet, and Inlate Spring2001, the CSUlibrariesbegan WWWaccessto publishers’catalogs, library workon creatinga collectiondevelopment Web catalogs,listservs, and the ‘‘very usefuland well siteand updating the papercollection organizedACQWEB site’ ’ (Henderson,1996, developmentnotebook as part of effortsto p. 372). Otherauthors address the useof Web streamlineand capitalize onefficiency in the resourcesfor acquisitions and collection collectiondevelopment process. This came on development.Web page design and usefulness the heelsof the libraries’work to create weretwo areascovered in Johnson’ s (1997) purchase/approval plansfor departments articlewhich looked at libraryacquisition Web previouslywithout themand also move to an informationfrom 31 institutions.His main Web electronicsystem of orderingbooks not covered pagedesign factors include page length, by the purchaseplans. linkages,downloading time, and typography, Previously,the ‘‘bluenotebook’ ’ consistedof whichare still valid measureswhen designing collectiondevelopment policies and procedures Websites today. that wereupdated periodically and retained in a Reviewingthe literatureon Web site creation three-ringbinder. The manual contained the foradministrative (internal) collection collectiondevelopment and management developmentsites provided one article similar proceduresand policies and was organizedby to the workdone at ColoradoState. Rabineand processwith instructionsand examples of Brown(2000) discussthe developmentof an forms.The manual also contained lists for fund 163 Creating internal Web tools for collection development Collection Building Allison Level and SarahMyers Volume 22 . Number 4 . 2003 . 162-166 codes,faculty liaisons,and a conspectusof call Libraries(CARL), the GreaterWestern Library numbers.No indexwas available andit was Alliance(GWLA), andothers. These are online oftennecessary to browsethrough several resourcesused by selectors.To create the chaptersto locatethe neededinformation. Toolbox,selectors gave theirinput as to their Changesand updates to contentwere difficult mostcommonly used online tools for collection to makeand labor intensive. With the hiringof development.The collection management Web severalnew reference librarians, many with site(http:/ /lib.colostate.edu/cm/)provides limitedcollection development experience, it informationfor the libraries’patrons, staff and was importantto have easy accessto collection faculty withinthe campuscommunity. The developmentinformation that wouldbe Website has linksto topicsincluding: how to well-organized,easy to use,and easy to update. givea gift, generaland subject policies, and Whenthe projectbegan, several Web styles newssuch as specialinitiatives andprojects. wereexplored. After a few styles,the manual Otherresources include information on how to took shapein a frame-basedWeb format. This suggestan item for purchase, with aform formatallowed for creation of atable of template forrecommendations from patrons. contents,search function, and content all on Additionally,the sitecontains annotated links onescreen. The coding of existingfiles and to consortialpartner libraries and organizations paperlists took severalmonths. After the basic suchas CARL,GWLA, and the Scholarly textand links were in place, images of forms Publishingand Academic Resources Coalition werescanned in and added to the Website. (SPARC).The Web site also lists CSU’ s Next, listsof codesand departments were collectionmanagement staff, subjectlibrarians convertedfrom Excel files to PDF files.Later by department,and liaisons to the libraryby thesewere converted into HTML filesfor department. greaterviewing ease.

Selector’s toolboxand collection Webimplementation managementWeb site Oncethe manualhad taken form,the next Onedoes not need to bea Webwizard to create movewas to createa selector’s toolboxand a set Webpages or even a Website. Creating text of publiclyaccessible pages for the Web.The andlinked URLs is done with easeusing Web entirecollection management unit met and authoringsoftware. Whencreating pages with revieweda compiledlist of libraryWeb sites to framesand images, it ishelpfulto knowHTML gainideas for general accessibility. Collection codeas itallowsflexibility and more options for developmentWeb site examples from creativity andformat when developing a Web Universityof Illinoisat Urbana-Champaign, site.When coding for more complicated Web Universityof CaliforniaSanta Barbara Library, pages,having support available fortechnical Universityof Texasat AustinLibrary, Penn questionsis beneficial. During the project,the State UniversityLibraries, and others were Weblibrarians at the CSUlibrarieswere extremelyhelpful during the reviewperiod. extremelyhelpful. Duringthe Website design process, the unit Whencreating Web pages, it isideal to use was askedto considerseveral design elements, ‘‘white space’’ andnot to overloadthe reader includingusability, functionality,ease of with text. Spacing,indentation and font size are navigation,content, and likes/ dislikes.At the pointsto keepin mind while working on Web timeof the meeting,several mockups were pages.One approach is to try differentstyles readyto view anddiscuss. After the group anddesigns and use some creativity. Reading reachedconsensus, the codingof the selector’s text ona computercan be achallengefor some toolboxbegan. andit isbest to limitcolors and graphics, Theselector’ s toolboxcontains links for sites especiallyfor the purposeof anonline manual. suchas ACQWEB,AddAll, Blackwell’ s Webpages can have toomuch information CollectionManager, American Library whichwill prevent the readerfrom using the Association(ALA), Association of Research resource.Be sensitive to the informationyou Libraries(ARL), Colorado Alliance of Research wishto portray andkeep a balance. 164 Creating internal Web tools for collection development Collection Building Allison Level and SarahMyers Volume 22 . Number 4 . 2003 . 162-166

Oneof the challengeswith codingWeb pages triangle.When the mainheading is clicked, the isworking with differentbrowsers. There are trianglepoints downwards and the subheadings distinctionsbetween how Netscape and arelisted with acaretpointing to the InternetExplorer will interpret a page. subheading.Subheadings can be clicked on and Simplicityis the key forallowing browser the readeris taken to the exactsection. This compatibility. Whencoding a Webpage, testing style of table of contentsworks quite well, betweenbrowsers is important. In this project, however,the complexityis muchgreater and an therewere many instances where a pagewould understandingof JavaScript isnecessary. lookdifferent in the browsers.Adjustments Themanual initially consistedof severalPDF weremade to the pages,which were continually links.The PDF fileswere created from other testedin both browsers,until the pageslooked files,like Microsoft Word and Excel, using the same. Adobe’s AcrobatDistiller to convertpages into Inthe caseof the selector’s manual,the PDFformat.The file conversion process is fast formatfor the manualwas createdusing frames andeasy. Oncea fileis converted into PDF, the andthere were some complexities involved. filename, or link, is coded into the Webpage. Framesallow atable of contentsto beviewed Theselector’ s manualhad several PDF filesin onthe screenat all times.The table ofcontents its debut.However, users found the filesto be frameassists the readerin navigation of the moredifficult to navigate sothey were manual.A title frameat the top remainedat all convertedto HTMLfiles.This took a timesfor consistency. Content changed in the considerableamount of time;however, the end mainframe, depending on the reader’s resultwas worthwhileand the HTMLfilesare navigation.The table of contentsincludes a set easy to search,navigate andupdate. The of clickablelinks to bringup the contentin the HTMLfilestake upless file size as well. mainframe. Additionally, a searchfunction is Forthe selector’s manual,examples of images includedin the table of contents.The search is andforms were needed. Creating images was poweredby Googleand searches meta content alsotime consuming as the processinvolved andkeywords. The user enters a keywordand scanningfiles and cleaning up images in an searchresults are returned in the mainframe imageprogram, like Adobe Photoshop. Some with aseriesof clickablelinks to choosefrom. examplesof imagesinclude forms used for Currently,the framebased Web design works wellfor the selector’s manual.One drawback to collectiondevelopment, computer screen shots, the framedesign is printing. Users must make icons,and slips used for ordering materials. surethe contentthey want printedis in the Imagesare larger in file size than anon-image ‘‘active’’ frame.The collection management file.This is an issue when limited in file storage. Webteam willcontinue to exploreother Imageswill need to beupdated as formsare designsand formats. revisedor added and as Websites change. Throughoutthe processof Webdesign and development,accuracy, style, andtime commitmentwere major factors. Testing and Project revisions checkingpages and links is anongoing process. Oneof the majorchanges included revising the Stylisticelements such as pagelayout, font formatand display of the table ofcontentsfor sizes,colors, tables, andimages are continually the selector’s manual.Previously, the table of checkedand revised. contentswas aseriesof bulletedand AWebproject is an ongoing process. For the sub-bulletedlinks. Based on user feedback, the collectionmanagement Web pages, a Webteam collectionmanagement Web team decidedto meetsmonthly to reviewpast, presentand lookfor better examples of table of contentsand futureprojects. The Web team workswith movedto JavaScript. TheWeb team likedthe revisions,changes and additions to selector functionality,flexibility, and style of the assignments,policies, and procedures. With JavaScript table of contents.The table of newservices, products, and Web resources contentshas greaterfunctionality and a sleeker available forcollection development, the Web look.The new main heading is indicated with a team muststay up-to-date,informed and 165 Creating internal Web tools for collection development Collection Building Allison Level and SarahMyers Volume 22 . Number 4 . 2003 . 162-166 knowledgeableto transfernewly acquired collectionmanagement, and database informationon the collectionWeb pages. maintenance.Web resources, including a selector’s manual,toolbox, and Web site for collectionmanagement, are indispensable tools Summary forlibrary staff, faculty, andpatrons. These onlineresources provide enhanced organization Thecollection management Web projects are andseamless access to information.Collection animportant contribution to organizational developmentis now just a clickaway. communicationand resource sharing. With 20 selectors,online tools are essential in streamliningmaterials selection. The manual References providesthe instructions,guides, policies and procedures,while the toolboxprovides helpful Arlen, S., Seale, C.and Nanji, R.(1998), ``Web tools for linksfor collection development. One reference collection managers’’, Collection Building , Vol. 17 librariancommented: No. 2, pp. 65-70. Brown, L.A. (1999), ``The collection development Iusethe resources all thetime. I couldnever find theright page in the print notebook, and I always workstation: asampling ofWeb resources’’, Collection had toask someone. Building,Vol. 18 No. 4, pp. 146-7. Henderson, T.(1996), ``Weaving the Web: using the World Thecollection management Web site provides Wide Web in library acquisitions’’, Library Acquisitions: contactinformation, news, and policies. Practice and Theory ,Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 367-74. Therewas aninitial time commitment Holmberg, M.(2000), ``Using publishers’ Web sites for involvedto launchthis type of project,with a reference collection development’’, Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship ,Winter, available at: continuedeffort to ensureinformation is www.istl.org/00-winter/article3.html currentand up-to-date. Continuing work Intner, S.S. (2001), ``Impact ofthe Internet on collection includeslocating new online resources for the development: where are wenow? Where are we selector’s toolboxand using the bestonline headed? An informal study’’, Library Collections, toolsavailable. Pursuingnew Web technology is Acquisitions, &Technical Services ,Vol. 25, pp. 307-22. always ongoingand involves upgrading, Johnson, S.(1997), ``Library acquisitions pages on the World Wide Web’’, Library Acquisitions: Practice and Theory , revising,and retooling. Vol. 21 No. 2, pp. 195-204. Theentire project of creatingonline Rabine, J.L. and Brown, L.A. (2000), ``The selection resourcesrequired a collaborativeeffort. Many connection: creating an internal Web page for peopleand departments were involved, collection development’’, Library Resources & includingthe Weblibrarians, acquisitions, Technical Services ,Vol. 44 No. 1, pp. 44-9.

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