In spring 1999, Cornell University Library performed a user study to help determine how users would organize a set of concepts to be included in an online digital library help system. The study employed the card sort technique, in which users impose their own organization on a set of concepts. The card sort technique proved to be a highly effective and valuable method for gathering user input on organizational groupings prior to total system design. The authors present Cornell’s experience as a case study with detailed instructions for conducting and evaluating the card sort technique.
OCLC’s WorldCat®1 Local has offered users at Macalester College information discovery and retrieval experiences well beyond what was provided by traditional library catalogs. WorldCat® Local has seamlessly exposed campus users to a range of resources including institutional repository items, vendor-based database content, digital collections, traditional local collections, and library holdings worldwide. In this new information environment, the ability to search only one library’s traditional collection is fast becoming an outdated notion, especially in the age of Google. This chapter describes how the library at Macalester College has harnessed the power of a new form of discovery system and transformed the user experience for staff, faculty, and students
This article reviews the current state of Webinar technology from a library perspective: what it is, how it works, and the many features Webinars commonly provide, including: polling, annotation tools, document sharing, recording, archiving, and reporting. The authors offer a brief look at types of organizations using Webinar technology, and which vendors are active in this rapidly developing market. Possible library applications are discussed and the authors' personal Webinar experiences are shared. A comparison to similar Web-based technologies such as Web tutorials, virtual reference, courseware management systems, videoconferencing, and Webcasting is also included.
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