Neal-Schuman WebMaster

Creating and maintaining a successful Web site for your library can involve large expenses for art and design, many hours of staff time, and numerous frustrating delays. The "Neal-Schuman WebMaster" is a multimedia kit designed to help any library that is preparing to build or enhance its Web site and/or provide public access to the Internet develop a solid, workable plan and quickly and inexpensively implement it. The kit - a Web-enabled CD-ROM with accompanying book - includes: a "design" section offering Web page templates and a collection of icons that can be downloaded, copied, or adapted for use on your library's home page, plus examples of library related Internet resource guides; a "training" section that includes an intensive programme to help staff learn the Net and become trainers, a programme that teaches Internet basics to library patrons (in six 3-hour modules), another patron training programme focusing on developing World Wide Web and HTML skills (in eight 2-hour modules), plus access to over 50 tutorials on the Internet for patrons of all ages and abilities.
In addition it includes an "acceptable use policies" section with a selection of Internet and computer use policies for all kinds of libraries that can be cut and pasted to meet your library's needs, plus tips on filtering software, and establishing security for library systems files; an "intellectual freedom" section offering a discussion of issues that have resulted from the establishment of Internet connections in public and school libraries; and a "resources" section that describes and connects you to all of the Web-based citations referred to in the kit and will help you stay current with new developments of the Web. Also provided are instructions for downloading the latest version of a Web browser, a description of how the CD-ROM is organized, and an explanation of how to download items from the CD-ROM and the Internet. This time-saving tool should help you incorporate the Web into your library's programmes.