According to Jurwoski (2010) the
question of school libraries having website is obsolete, and the new concern
lies around what content should be including on the library website. The school
library is place where students, teachers, and even parents come to get access
to information. Its website should be reflective of this. We as librarians play
a critical role in promoting and increasing literacy as well as the goals of
the school community. When building and maintaining a website, these things
should be taken in consideration.
Jurwoski also points out that school library websites are being used for different purposes. I
believe all school library website should have 2 goals; one is to provide
electronic resources to all who utilize their services, and two to promote the
importance of the school library. It is imperative that the library website
demonstrate to others our power as an integral role of educating students. This
means pictures displaying program and initiatives of the library; websites and
resources for teachers, students, and parents; and of course access to online
books.
I
had the opportunity to review some school library websites. I won’t talk about
web editors and html because that is going to rely on whether the librarian has
the option to choose or if its designated. Content is part of the key to a good
website. Below is a link/picture of the website for Russell Elementary which is located in Smyrna, GA.
` What I liked most about this website is that all the links are current and up to date. The brief video on the home page
helps parents and students gain access to county media resources by showing
them how to log in and reminders about their user id. This is very useful for
parents looking for help trying to help their children with homework. Pathfinders
are great resources to help teachers find information relevant to the common
core standards that they are teaching. Links to free audio books, allows
library users to have remote access to books. It is always the goal of the
librarian to place a book in the hand of everyone who walks through the door.
This is a great way for students who possibly owe fines to have access to
books.
The underlying theme on this website as well as others I viewed was providing patrons with the resources that would normally be available during business hours after hours and promoting media programs. What do you think would be the most useful and helpful on the school library website? Did you find in websites that stood out to you.?
Reference:
Jurkowski, O. L. (2010). Technology and the school library: A comprehensive guide for media specialists and other educators. Revised ed. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
It is definitely important to ensure that your website is user-friendly and is designed for your specific audience. For example, if you are in an elementary school, most sites will utilize color coded tabs and icons with related pictures. It is a great tool to have your library resources be available for students to use outside of regular school hours. It is also helpful so that teachers can access useful resources in their classroom computer labs to complete assignments with the students. That way, you avoid the dilemma of being over-booked. The most helpful things, in my opinion, would definitely be access to the online cataloging database Destiny, Galileo, important forms, and citation reference guides.
ReplyDeleteI like that you broke it down to the fact that the school library webpage serves two purposes. I feel like some websites serve too many purposes and the information kind of gets lost in translation. Content is key. How it is displayed, and how it is used. Another important aspect is layout. The website needs to be innovative, interactive, but useful. Sometimes too much is just too much.
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