Complete Internet Companion for Librarians

Allen Benson's "Complete Internet Companion for Librarians" (1995) helped thousands of librarians learn the Internet and integrate it into their library's services. Now, Benson's totally revised and expanded guide offers both "newbie" cybrarians and Internet veterans information for mastering today's Internet and incorporating it into their library. The text explains Internet tools and protocols and uses library examples to illustrate both basic and advanced techniques. This resource provides information about recent developments and should help with: Intranets and how to use them; how Netiquette works in the library setting; copyright issue for digital information and Web pages; and copyright protections for libraries that offer Internet access to the public.
You can also discover new Internet and Web tools and resources: search engines and subject trees that help you find Web information quickly and easily; library-related Web pages like "The Internet Public Library" and "Reference Libraries on the Web"; free Internet news and information such as Hot Flashes/Library News, Current Cities, and Herriot-Watt's Internet Resources; library catalogues from around the world; digital libraries that can open new vistas for your patrons; and advice on how you and your patrons can use the Net to find answers to your questions about the Net - and how to keep up with what's new on the Web.
The guide will help you select and install the hardware, software and systems you need: understand, price and select among high-speed connection options like ISDN, cable modems and T-1 lines; register your library as an Internet service provider; choose and use e-mail and Listserv management programmes; find out about preparation requirements for using multimedia sources in your library; download, install and use helper applications and plug-ins like RealAudio and streamlining video players; learn about and avoiding computer viruses transmittable over the Net; select and set up filtering software (like Cyperpatrol) in your library; and choose, install and fine-tune Web browsers so they'll actually work like you want them to.
Integrate the Internet into your library services: plan for increased Internet use in your library; select the right combination of roles the Internet can play in furthering your library's mission; determine how much the Internet will cost (and save) your library; know when to use the Internet as a reference source through "Benson's Decision Tree for Reference Librarians"; organize the information you find on the Net with bookmark utilities like FirstFloor Smart Bookmarks; develop fair but effective policies for patron use of the Internet; learn techniques for promoting the Internet's presence in your library; design and create home pages that can save your staff time and encourage increased library use; and use the Internet to assist "all" areas of your library, from acquisitions to preservation. The manual also includes a glossary of terms written in language you can actually read, a well-organized listing of library discussion lists on the Internet, and a whole new appendix entitled "Job Hunting on the Internet for Librarians".