Delivering Web Reference Services to Young People

Citation

Burton, L.M. (2002), "Delivering Web Reference Services to Young People", Program: electronic library and information systems, Vol. 36 No. 1, pp. 56-57. https://doi.org/10.1108/prog.2002.36.1.56.8

This book is intended for practising school and young people’s librarians and its strength, despite its being American, is that from the outset it recognises the fact that the Web has its rightful place as a reference tool in the world of information provision but that it is not the only reference tool and that the answer cannot always be found on the Web. It includes examples of what the Web is good for finding information, for what it is satisfactory and finally which topics are poorly covered on the Web (such as copyright literature and non‐doctrinal religious sites). The last section in the first chapter discusses the fact that the Web is not always suitable for young children, i.e. under the age of seven, as so much of it is text‐centred, while the slowness of sites to load, if they incorporate sound, music or animation, is off‐putting. It also highlights the fact that banner advertisements not related to the topic on the screen can prove to be a distraction, especially to youngsters, and can lead them off the topic and on to completely irrelevant material.

Chapter two deals with using search tools for reference works and starts by defining what search tools are. It discusses the difference between subject directories, meta‐engines and search engines and then goes on to planning a search, taking the reader through the search steps, how to choose the appropriate search tool and how to correctly select search terms. This section has good graphics of a variety of search tools and includes search tips and tricks and how to undertake Boolean searching. There is a very helpful section on which search tools to use and when to use them with recommendations for each search objective.

Chapter three is on Web site evaluation, an area where young people require guidance in order to be able to discern what is worthwhile material. The chapter starts by asking what information literacy is and strongly emphasises that information literacy skills are not just for use on the Web but are applicable to any medium, and it is refreshing to see this fact being acknowledged in a book on Web reference services. It then lists the six steps from the “Information literacy on the Net” curriculum, which can again be applied to print and non‐print material and points out that the skills required to evaluate Web sites differ from the evaluation skills used for other formats, mainly because it is not always evident who has produced a Web site and students need to be constantly reminded that anyone with access to a computer can put up a Web site. The questions students need to ask when evaluating a Web site are discussed and this is followed by a useful explanation and analysis of URLs. One particular site is analysed as an example and there is an explanation of Webliographies.

The next chapter deals with creating a YPWRC (Young People’s Web Reference Collection) and contains useful practical advice on how to go about this and how to maintain the collection once it is up and running and finally how to publicise the YPWRC. Chapter five is a practical chapter covering matters such as printing text and graphics, plug‐ins, copyright and Net abuse, which can all affect the standard of service provided to young people using the Web, particularly those using public access Web terminals. This useful publication finishes by stressing the need for young people to learn how to find information on the Web for themselves and, as a practising school librarian who is in the process of producing a hand‐out on this topic, I cannot emphasise enough how important this is. More and more young people have access to the Web but, until they learn to access the information they require and to evaluate it, a great deal of time and energy will be wasted. The authors suggest that this can be done by running Web workshops, and activities and examples (with graphics) are included of how some public libraries in the USA have approached this.

The book concludes with an appendix on the nine information literacy standards for student learning plus a Webliography of sites used in the text. This work is practical, clearly written for the market at which it is aimed and realistic about what the Web can deliver to young people.