Abstract image of a woman sitting on books and studying on a laptop

ML2007Spring

J
Jaketha Farmer

This document summarizes the 10 year anniversary of the MAGNOLIA Project in Mississippi, which provides online access to databases for all publicly funded libraries and institutions in the state. It discusses how the project was established through a steering committee with representatives from different types of libraries. The steering committee worked to select vendors and databases within the project's budget, address technological issues, and train librarians to use the resources. As a result, the MAGNOLIA Project now provides free access to online information that has significantly improved library services across Mississippi.

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Volume 71, No. 1 Spring 2007
Page 1 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries Can anyone working in Mis- sissippi libraries today even remember life before MAG- NOLIA? Yes, the MAGNO- LIA Project is now ten years old – and is being celebrat- ed across the state this year in a variety of special ways. The state legislature, which picks up the bulk of the tab for the MAGNOLIA Project, was given a piece of Magnolia Birthday Cake at this year’s MLA Legislative Reception on Febru- ary 6, 2007. I have been privileged to serve as a member of the Project’s Steering Commit- tee, representing public library interests, since the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) assembled us and commissioned the committee to “work together” and to figure out the logistics of “how to make a statewide electronic library possible.” Two librarians from each type of library – uni- versity, community college, public school (K-12) and public – were asked to serve. Although many of those pioneering librar- ians have either retired or moved on to jobs in other states, their contributions live on. In 1997, there were only a handful of states that had the kind of consortia we could “pattern” ourselves after – and the vendors which offered the products we were considering were often “caught” without established pricing guidelines. To say that the steering committee helped push, drive and even determine some of the database marketplace at that moment would not be an understatement. The original funding earmarked by the legislature to create MAGNOLIA came directly out of the IHL and community col- lege boards’ budgets. IHL became the pass-through agency for the payment of MAGNOLIA’s bills for a number of years. Eventually, the Mississippi Library Com- mission agreed to take on that responsibil- ity and has been processing the invoices for payment ever since – with the state leg- islature providing the funding for the pur- chase of the database access. The steering committee had to keep several things in mind as it began its work: 1. the consortium must work out a way to provide access to database info- mation for all publicly- funded institutions – as per the state legislature; 2. the consortium was to provide access to database information helpful to all types of publicly-funded libraries, including those sup- porting the K-12 institutions; 3. the legislature wanted all of the money it had earmarked for this purpose to be used to purchase access to information – i.e., not to hire a director, a staff, or to maintain an office. To that end, librarians from the various types of libraries were recruited to serve on the many working sub-committees that were formed. These scores of volunteer committee members came together in Jackson – often meeting each other com- ing and going along our state’s highways. Remember: these were the days before “virtual” meetings! Some of the more important questions these sub-committees were asked to solve included which vendors to select while staying within the amount of money we had been “given,” how to tame the tech- nological issues, how to train folks and how to get the word out. Ultimately, the problems were solved, the databases selected, and the MAGNOLIA Project was born in 1997 – offering information from databases from a variety of vendors for FREE! The MAGNOLIA Project has changed some over the past ten years, but its impact on the way in which we all provide library services within Mississippi has remained significant. For example, because of the MAGNOLIA Project, a young high school student in the Delta now has access to much of the same peri- odical information that is contained in the best college and university libraries any- where in the nation. ࡯ Mississippi Library Association PO Box 13687 Jackson, MS 39236-3687 Office Hours: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. M, Tu, Th, F E-mail: info@misslib.org Executive Secretary: Mary Julia Anderson MLA Web site: http://misslib.org Webmaster: Molly Signs McManus, signsmj@millsaps.edu Catherine A. Nathan President Title: Director Institution: First Regional Library E-mail: cnathan@first.lib.ms.us Phone: 662-429-4439 Jeff Slagell Vice President/President-elect Title: Director of Library Services Institution: Roberts-Laforge Library/DSU E-mail: jslagell@deltastate.edu Phone: 662-846-4441 Otha Keys Secretary Title: Media Specialist Institution: South Jones High School E-mail: orkeys@yahoo.com Phone: 601-477-9199 Carol D. Green Treasurer Title: Serials Librarian/Assoc. Prof. Institution: Univ. of Southern Miss. E-mail: carol.green@usm.edu Phone: 601-266-4476 Susan S. Cassagne Immediate Past President Title:Director Institution: Natchez Adams Wilkinson Lib. Serv. E-mail: scassagne@naw.lib.ms.us Phone: 601-445-8862 Robert Lipscomb ALA Councilor Title: Director Institution: Harrison County Lib. Sys. E-mail: r.lipscombl@harrison.lib.ms.us Phone: 228-868-1383 Mary Beth Applin SELA Councilor Title: Instructional Coordinator Institution: Cook Library - USM E-mail: mary.applin@usm.edu Phone: 601-266-4245 Mary Julia Anderson MLA Executive Secretary PO Box 13687 Jackson, MS 39236-3687 Phone: 601-981-4586 Fax: 601-981-4501 E-mail: info@misslib.org Molly McManus Parliamentarian Title: Pub. Serv. Coord. & Systems Librarian Institution: Millsaps-Wilson College Library E-mail: signsmj@millsaps.edu Phone: 601-974-1086 2007 Sections ACRL Section Chair: Margaret Jane Stauble mjstauble@hindscc.edu Public Libraries Chair: Marsha Case mcase@jhlibrary.com School Libraries Chair: Diane Willard dwillard@fcsd.k12.ms.us Special Libraries Chair: Tracy Carr tcarr@mlc.lib.ms.us Trustees Chair: Randy Sherard sherardjamesr@bellsouth.net For additional information and a list of committees and roundtables, see the Mississippi Library Association’s Web site at http://www.misslib.org/. PRESIDENT’S PAGE Catherine A. Nathan
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 2 A Quarterly Publication of the ISSN 0194-388X Mississippi Library Association ©2007 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR Elizabeth Stephan JD Williams Library The University of Mississippi University, MS 38677 estephan@olemiss.edu 662-915-6628 ASSISTANT EDITOR Lauren Young Rowland Medical Library The University of Mississippi Medical Center 2500 North State Street Jackson, MS 39216-4505 lmyoung@rowland.umsmed.edu COPY EDITOR Tisha Zelner The University of Southern Mississippi tisha.zelner@usm.edu BUSINESS MANAGER Tisha Zelner The University of Southern Mississippi tisha.zelner@usm.edu ADVERTISING EDITOR Missy Murphey The University of Mississippi ulrmm@olemiss.edu REPORTER Tina Harry The University of Mississippi tharry@olemiss.edu BOOK REVIEW EDITOR Christina Torbert The University of Mississippi ctorbert@olemiss.edu MLA PUBLICITY COMMITTEE CHAIR David Brown First Regional Library dbrown@yahoo.com INDEXER Shirlene Stogner The University of Southern Mississippi shirlene.stogner@usm.edu President’s Page ................................................................................................1 Tackling Technology..........................................................................................3 Elizabeth Stephan, Editor, Mississippi Libraries Library 101 Online & the Mississippi Delta: Reaching the Remote..............4 Paula Webb, Serials/Interlibrary Loan Librarian, Roberts-LaForge Library, Delta State University MSU Libraries’ Implementation of Federated Search Software.....................8 Marybeth F. Grimes, Associate Professor/Reference Librarian, Mississippi State University Libraries, Mississippi State University Using RSS to Push Electronic Resources to the Patron: Giving Power to the Patron.............................................................................11 Steven Turner, Associate Professor and Library Web Services Manager, The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries, The University of Southern Mississippi Renovating the Library Web Site: A Case Study ..........................................16 Debra A. Riley-Huff, Web Services/Reference Librarian, Assistant Professor, J.D. Williams Library, University of Mississippi Lamar County Library System’s Experience with Thin-Client Computing ...................................................................................20 Jeanne Crider, Director, Lamar County Library System; Jaketha Farmer, Training and Technology Specialist, Lamar County Library System MLA Officer Nominees.........................................................................................24 About Books........................................................................................................27 People in the News ..............................................................................................29 News Briefs .........................................................................................................30 MLA Executive Board Minutes ..............................................................................31 MLA Membership Form........................................................................................34 This month’s cover is one half of the diptych Highway 45 by Norma Sanders Bourdeaux. Bourdeaux received her Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. Her work was also featured on the Winter 2005 Mississippi Libraries. Bourdeaux has shown her paintings in various exhibits including the 2003 Mississippi Invitational in Jackson, Mississippi. Her work is in numerous collections, including the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis. She resides in Meridian, Mississippi. Bourdeaux can be reached at 601-482-2964 or 662-234-0022. Mississippi Libraries is a publication of the Mississippi Library Association (MLA). The articles, reports, and features here- in represent the viewpoints of their respective authors and are not necessarily the official opinions of the Association. Subscription Rates: $16.00 per year ($4.00 per issue); $24.00 per year outside of the U.S.; free to MLA members. Back issues are available from University Microfilms International. Advertising Rates: Rates are available upon request from the Advertising Editor. Advertising Deadlines: Spring: February 10; Summer: May 10; Fall: August 10; Winter: November 10 Submissions: Manuscripts must be submitted in electronic format in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or ASCII text format. Documents can be sent as an attachment via e-mail or on a CD-ROM or a 31 ⁄2 inch disk via surface mail. Deadlines for submission: Spring: February 2; Summer: May 2; Fall: August 2; Winter: November 2. In order to assure the widest possible audience for the work published in Mississippi Libraries, that work is added in elec- tronic form to the Mississippi Library Association Web site and, by contractual agreement, to one or more EBSCO Publishing databases. Mississippi Libraries is also indexed in Library Literature and Information Sciences Abstracts. Dues must be paid by March 1 in order to receive the Spring issue of Mississippi Libraries. Contents
Page 3 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries Tackling Technology Elizabeth Stephan Editor, Mississippi Libraries Business Reference Librarian J. D. Williams Library The University of Mississippi Love it or hate it, technology is here to stay. It’s been “here” for a long time; it’s just been in different formats. As an under- grad I remember using the so-called “dummy terminals” in the library at North- west Missouri State University to search the catalog. It seemed like such an advanced system at the time; now it seems like ancient technology. When I started library school in 2001, we had MadCat, the university online cata- log. I graduated with my B.A. shortly before my university changed to an online catalog, so when I began to work at the ref- erence desk as a grad student, the only experience I had with an OPAC was the lit- tle bit of searching I had done at home (so that I wouldn’t look like an idiot the first time someone asked me a question). I picked it up pretty quickly, though: while I don’t always understand how different types of technology work, I can figure out how to use them fairly readily. See, I’m one of those people who know just enough to be dangerous. I’m a mad clicker. My theory has always been: “They build these things so the user can’t mess them up.” I’m not sure how true that is since I’ve messed up a few things in my lifetime. Despite that, I keep on clicking. Madly. This issue is dedicated to technology in today’s library. “Technology” and “library” go hand in hand these days, and we are covering several different areas and several different levels of expertise. (If you read some of these articles and wonder what all the coding means, don’t worry – it’s pret- ty much a foreign language to me, too.) In this issue we’ll look at technology and instruction, federated searching, RSS feeds, Web design, and thin-client comput- ing. It’s kind of a mixed bag, but technol- ogy has become synonymous with many aspects of librarianship, so an issue devot- ed to techie issues is bound to cover many topics. Distance learning and distance educa- tion seem to be growing trends at many universities; the distance learning program at the University of Mississippi continues to grow every year. Paula Webb noticed the same trend at Delta State University. Librarians at Delta State teach a successful Library 101 course, and Webb began to wonder how she could reach students that were strictly off campus. In her article, “Library 101 & the Mississippi Delta: Reaching the Remote,” Webb describes the process of developing and teaching an online version of Library 101. Metasearch engines are no longer the newest thing, but a couple of years ago libraries all over the country were experi- menting with federated searching. In fall 2004, Mississippi State University reviewed several metasearch engines, set- tling on ExLibris’ MetaLib. In her article, “MSU Libraries Implementation of Feder- ated Search Software,” Marybeth Grimes, reference librarian at MSU, outlines how their system was set up and what chal- lenges librarians faced with instruction and use. Grimes also provides an update of how MetaLib has been received, used, and changed since its implementation in fall 2005. RSS (rich site summary) feeds are becoming more commonplace on library Web sites – both on main sites and on sub- ject guides and similar pages that are updated frequently. How are RSS feeds being used by our own libraries? In his article, “Using RSS to Push Electronic Resources to the Patron: Giving Power to the Patron,” Steve Turner, Library Web Services Manager at the University of Southern Mississippi, explains how RSS feeds have been implemented at USM. Turner also gives examples of RSS code – from USM as well as other already-estab- lished feeds, like that of the New York Times. The University of Mississippi is in the middle of a major redesign of its Web site. Trying to redesign an entire library Web site without restricting access or downtime is difficult. In her article, “Renovating the Library Web Site: A Case Study,” Debra Riley-Huff, Web Services/Reference Librarian at the University of Mississippi, describes the project thus far. Phase I, which included the redesign of the home page, header, footer, and some secondary pages, was recently completed. Riley-Huff details the goals of the redesign as well as the timeline and process of the project. We’ve covered Web design, federated searching, RSS feeds, and online instruc- tion, and now we turn to networking. Five years ago, the Lamar County Library Sys- tem switched to thin-client computing. Jeanne Crider, director, and Jaketha Farmer, training and technology specialist at the Lamar County Library System, describe issues they have had with thin- client computing in their article “Lamar County Library System’s Experience with Thin-Client Computing.” Crider and Farmer discuss the issues they faced as well as the pros and cons involved with using thin-client computing versus person- al computers. MLA elections are around the corner. Information on all candidates can be found in this issue. The summer issue of Mississippi Libraries will be on collaboration. A cou- ple of years ago we had an issue devoted to collaboration between different types of libraries. In the summer issue we want to look at the collaboration of libraries with non-library organizations or institutions. If you have an idea for an article for the sum- mer issue, please contact me at estephan@olemiss.edu. The fall issue will be devoted to grant writing. Any tips? Sug- gestions? Let us know. ࡯
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 4 Library 101 Online & the Mississippi Delta: Reaching the Remote Paula Webb Serials/Interlibrary Loan Librarian Roberts-LaForge Library Delta State University Abstract Natural barriers of rolling hills make the miles and miles of flatland appear as if the Mississippi Delta is another state entirely. Spotted with numerous towns and villages with populations as small as a few hun- dred people to over fifteen thousand, the Mississippi Delta does not boast large cities or metro areas. The Mississippi Delta and its people are in a land unto themselves. Technology and Internet access in homes are quickly changing the landscape. Library 101, along with other courses offered at Delta State University, are using technological advances to edu- cate those students who live in the remote areas of the Delta. Introduction A significant problem in the Mississippi Delta is that in an area two hundred miles long and seventy miles wide (Cobb), an area larger than the state of New Jersey, there are only three community colleges, one university that teaches up to a master’s degree level, and one that teaches up to a doctoral level. The community colleges located in the Mississippi Delta are Missis- sippi Delta Community College, Coa- homa Community College, and Northwest Mississippi Community College. The one university that offers courses up to master’s degree level is Mississippi Valley State Uni- versity and the one school that provides degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels is Delta State University. These institutions, while scattered through- out the Delta, can prove to be too far away from potential students’ homes to allow them to attain any form of college-level education. Technology has changed this scenario in recent years. According to Technology Use in the Mississippi Delta: A Summary Report from the 2003 Delta Rural Poll: Computers and the Internet can be valuable tools for rural fami- lies. Many rural residents must travel long distances to access necessary services, such as med- ical care, shopping, and educa- tion. Computers and Internet connections can provide rural families instant access to these and other services, as well as better communications with dis- tant family, friends and col- leagues. (Barton) Despite the lag behind urban and sub- urban homes with computers, there is an increase in homes in the Delta that have computers. Delta residents are seeking higher education and one of the best ways is by attending classes at Delta State Uni- versity online. Background of the Project In 2004, I noticed a drastic increase in students taking classes offered only online. While we have a very successful Library 101 course available to our students on campus, I realized we were not providing the same service to those students who were strictly off campus. I began to research what options were available to teach Library 101 in an online environment. In the fall of 2004, Delta State Univer- sity offered Winter Technology Institute Awards to train faculty to apply WebCT, an e-learning system for higher education institutions, in their instruction courses. I applied and received the award, with an intensive week of training in January 2005. During the training, Dr. Felix Rizvanov, the Director of the Technology Learning Center at Delta State University, and vari- ous other faculty experienced in the use of WebCT taught us how to use the instruc- tional software to create online courses. We learned about setting up and designing our individual classes. We were taught how to give assignments and have class- room discussions using the tools provided by WebCT. With the assistance of Dr. Rizvanov, the faculty assistants, and other award winners, I began the construction of the online Library 101 course. Since all participants in this session were faculty who instructed in the Mississippi Delta, I asked them what type of training the students would need and how Library 101 online could meet that need. The English and nursing faculty were especially interested and advised that I pro- vide good directions on how to access databases such as Academic Search Pre- mier, CINAHL, and other EBSCOhost databases. I took their advice and incorpo- rated this training into the class coursework. Overview of the Library 101 Online Course The concept of the Library 101 online instruction course took an entire year to research, develop, and apply. I met with members of the Delta State reference department, currently responsible for Library 101 instruction, numerous times. I sought from them advice on teaching methods, their patterns of instruction, and how best to communicate with the students. In addition, I researched online library instruction coursework offered at other uni- versities and publicly accessible through the Internet. Among the best Web sites I visited were the College of San Mateo Library’s Library Studies 101 Course, Seattle Central Community College’s Paula Webb designed an online instructional course, Library 101, to reach out to those unable to come to a classroom. Photo by Dianne Schattner.
Introduction to Information Services, and Research Survival Online by Portland State University. I looked at these sites to get an idea of the best methods for teaching library instruction principles online. I then took the information I gathered from our reference librarians and the data I gathered from the research of online infor- mation literacy courses and molded it into one Library 101 online course. Course Collaboration I wanted the online instructional course I was creating to be of the same caliber as what the reference librarians were offering. Their teaching methods were meeting the library instruction needs of students from the Delta and I wanted to do the same. I did realize, however, that an online class could not be taught in the same way as a face-to-face class. If one of the refer- ence librarians wanted to teach their class about the Library of Congress Classifica- tion System, all they needed to do was show them the books on a shelf at the Roberts-LaForge Library. I had to develop a different way of accomplishing this goal. Developing a different instructional method was not my only concern. I had to decide the best method for one-on-one interaction with the students. I needed to develop assignments and quizzes to test their knowledge. I was concerned that the students would feel disconnected and not a part of the class. I wondered how I was going to communicate with them. Course Development I wanted the students to experience three distinct levels of library instruction. The first level was a general knowledge of how a library worked and was arranged. The second level was how the general knowledge of a library was applied to the Roberts-LaForge Library. Finally, the third level of library instruction existed in the weekly assignments. In these assignments, the students had to apply the knowledge they learned from the previous two levels. If I was instructing this class in a face-to- face learning environment, I would have used general knowledge about libraries as a part of the in-class discussion. What could I use in place of this sort of interaction? In researching other online Library 101 courses, I found that almost all of the coursework required either a textbook or extra reading of some sort. The College of San Mateo used The College Student’s Research Companion, 3rd Edition by Arlene Rodda Quaratiello, and Seattle Central Community College librarians went so far as to create their own textbook titled Research Methods and Strategies: A Textbook for Library 101 at SCCC. I looked at both of these textbooks and decided to use the publication by Quaratiello for my class as well. When evaluating the text, I thought it covered library instruction very well. I did not find it too wordy and felt the average college stu- dent could follow its principles. In addition to using the textbook to cover general topics, I also used each chapter to define one week of work. For example, chapter three of the textbook was titled “Reading the Map: Library Organiza- tion.” The chapter went over the basics of Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal classification systems. Week four of my online library instruction course, titled “Library Organization,” covered the same material. One chapter of work being equal to one week of work was acceptable for the most part. However, there were instances in which a week was not long enough to cover each chapter. In the case of chapter four’s section on reference resources, I used it to cover week five and six of my class instruction. In breaking down the material, plenty of time was given to go over the materials without the students becoming overwhelmed. The next level of library instruction was applying the general knowledge to the Roberts-LaForge Library specifically. I cre- ated PowerPoint presentations that took the general information the student read and applied it to how the library works at Delta State University. For example, chapter three talks about library organization, and I needed to find some way of explaining how to find a book using the Library of Congress Classification System. I worked to copy the process by using Microsoft PowerPoint and screen shots to do a step-by-step description of how to find a certain book in the catalog. I taught the students how to look at the call number to find its location at the Roberts-LaForge Library. Then, using a digital camera, I took photos of the call numbers on various books in the library, working my way toward the actual book. I finalized the search by taking a photo of the book at its shelf location. I pasted the screen shots and the photos in the proper order to give a virtual explication on how to find a book on the shelf using Library of Congress call numbers. The coursework finally attained the third level of instruction by having students complete weekly hands-on assignments. One of my assignments required students to find two books using the Library of Con- gress Classification System and two books using the Dewey Decimal Classification System. In this assignment, they had to submit the title of the books, the call num- ber of the books and tell me what type of call number it was. Using WebCT, I was able to see if any of the PowerPoint presentations I created were viewed by the students. By giving the weekly assignments, I was able to tell if they were learning any of the material I was teaching. In an effort to make sure they were also reading the textbook, I created two quizzes in WebCT that were based completely on the textbook and worth more points than the individual assign- ments. Communication One of the largest problems with class- es that are taught in an online-only envi- Page 5 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 6 OUR SERVICE IS UNSURPASSED Binding periodicals and rebinding We take pride that our workmanship, books in quality bindings is our materials and service are among business, and has been since 1912. the best in the industry. Less expensive Adhesive Type Bindings available upon request. 100 Hembree Park Drive P. O. Box 428 Roswell, GA 30077-9998 Telephone 770-442-5490 FAX 770-442-0183 An Equal Opportunity Employer National Library Bindery Co. of Ga., Inc. A CERTIFIED LIBRARY BINDERY ronment is that some feel they are not part of an actual class. In response to this, my goal for this course was to try to remove this barrier. I wanted the students to know they were a part of the entire class, know other people in the class, and not focus only on me. For this class, I tried something differ- ent. I asked my class to meet and discuss topics at Facebook. If they did not have a Facebook page already created, then I asked them to create one. I created my own Facebook page and used a picture of one of the library rows as my photo. In addition, I told them some of my likes and dislikes, giving them an idea of who I was. I created a Group page on Facebook titled “Library 101 at Delta State Universi- ty.” I asked all of my students to join this group page. As members of this group, they were able to see each other’s Face- book profile and get better acquainted with each other. With this format, I could send all my students the same discussion assignment. Also, they could post their findings and talk to each other at the group site. I originally had my doubts concerning the use of Facebook as a form of communica- tion, but I quickly discovered that the advantages greatly outweighed the disad- vantages. Not only was I able to get responses from many of my students more quickly than by e-mail, but I was also able to get to know them individually by their profiles on Facebook. In my opinion, using Facebook was the best route for group communication with a moderate number of students in an online course. In the case of one of my students, she was not allowed to use Facebook at work, but she was permitted to use instant mes- saging, another great communication tool. The student knew my office hours and was able to reach me whenever she had a prob- lem with the assignments or concepts I was teaching. Despite the great use of Web 2.0 tech- nology, a back up location is always need- ed to communicate. In our case, standard e-mail was the best system for sending files and assignments that didn’t load properly into WebCT the first time or for when an urgent reply was not needed. Lessons Learned My experience instructing Library 101 in a completely online environment was invaluable. You can create the class and theoretically guess how students will respond to the lessons, but it is an entirely different matter to see the actual results. It did not take me long to discover those stu- dents who were very organized and those who were not. I also had to remember that many of my students had various life responsibilities, resulting in the need to be flexible with deadlines. In regard to the syllabus and class expectations, I tried to be very detailed with directions for the work of each week. While you, as the instructor, may under- stand and present the material in one man- ner, the student will understand it from another perspective. I encountered this sit- uation when I was setting up the class for- mat. I didn’t want to grade all of the assign- ments during the last few days of the semester, so when I set up the release schedule for the assignments in WebCT, I only made them accessible one week at a time. I thought this was self-explanatory, but quickly discovered it was not.
Page 7 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries In the syllabus, I implied that the assign- ments were available on a weekly basis, but I never actually put that down in writ- ing. This caused confusion among some of the students, resulting in their assign- ments being turned in late or not at all. They assumed they had until the end of the semester to complete their assignments, like other online courses they took. One of the greatest advantages to offer- ing Library 101 online was that my stu- dents could read the lesson, watch the PowerPoints, and do their homework any- where in the Delta. Students attended my class from all locations in Mississippi including Greenville, Shaw and Benoit. In one case, I had a student turning in work when they were visiting family as far away as Memphis, Tennessee. Conclusion I believe that my attempt to provide Library 101 services to those students who could not attend class on campus was successful. In fact, after viewing the advantages of an online version of this course, two of our reference librarians have agreed to create an online Library 101 course to be taught next year at Delta State University. Creating and instructing Library 101 online for students in the Mississippi Delta has taught me an important principle. Technology is a viable pathway for expand- ing library research skills and it is never too late to explore this route. ࡯ References Barton, Alan W. and Roshun Williams. Tech- nology Use in the Mississippi Delta: A Sum- mary Report from the 2003 Delta Rural Poll. Policy Paper No. 05-01, Center for Communi- ty and Economic Development. July 2005. Cobb, James C. The Most Southern Place on Earth: The Mississippi Delta and the Roots of Regional Identity. Oxford University Press. 1994. College of San Mateo Library’s Library Studies 101Course. http://smccd.net/accounts/ gibbsd/101syllabus.htm. Accessed December 5, 2006. Librarians of Seattle Central Community Col- lege Library. Research Methods and Strate- gies: A Textbook for Library 101 at SCCC. http://dept.sccd.ctc.edu/cclib/Instruction/ textbook.pdf. Accessed December 5, 2006. Quaratiello, Arlene. The College Student’s Research Companion, 3rd ed. Neal-Schuman: New York. 2003. Seattle Central Community College’s Introduc- tion to Information Services. http://www.seattle central.org/faculty/kmicha/lib101/index.htm. Accessed December 5, 2006. Research Survival Online by Portland State University http://www.lib.pdx.edu/instruc tion/survivalguide/index.htm. Accessed Decem- ber 5, 2006.
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 8 MSU Libraries’ Implementation of Federated Search Software Marybeth F. Grimes Associate Professor/Reference Librarian Mississippi State University Libraries Mississippi State University Abstract Mississippi State University (MSU) Libraries wanted to provide its patrons with a way to simultaneously search mul- tiple databases using one uniform inter- face; therefore, in the fall 2004 semester, librarians reviewed several federated search programs. The administration decided to purchase Ex Libris’ MetaLib® and asked the head of systems administra- tion and several librarians to form a task force to oversee this new metasearch engine. Overview of MetaLib MetaLib, Version 3, allows patrons to find journal and magazine articles, books, e-journals, and other material by searching any of five different modules. Each module may be customized by the institutions that license the software. While each module allows users to search multiple databases at once, two modules require librarians to organize products into categories, thus giv- ing students and faculty the ability to search specific topics easily. QuickSearch is targeted for novice users; librarians have the option of creating several categories, and identifying databases to go within each category, to help patrons new to electronic searching with their information needs. For example, one category may be called, “Find information for Speech Class!” with Academic Search Premier and the online catalog as the databases to search. With MetaSearch, not only can librarians identi- fy categories, they can also create subcate- gories within as many categories as they need. MetaSearch allows advanced searchers to see easily what databases an institution has under a certain topic, or cat- egory, and what databases are useful for subtopics, or subcategories. For example, librarians can create a category called Lib- eral Arts and have many databases listed under that heading, and have a subcatego- ry of Literature with two to five databases related to that subject listed. Patrons have the ability to select and search databases from the list under the main category, pick a subcategory, or pick both a subcategory and databases from within the category to search. “Find Databases” allows patrons to find their favorite database and search its Flowchart outlining MetaSearch categories.
Page 9 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries native interface, and patrons can find elec- tronic journals through “E-Journals.” Users who want to pick and choose their own databases to search can manage their own personal data with “My Space.” MSU Libraries assigned different com- mittees to work with two of MetaLib’s mod- ules, “QuickSearch” and “MetaSearch.” The associate dean of public services and other members of public services met to discuss how to organize “Quick Search” to meet our patrons’ needs. The task force asked the Reference Electronic Evaluation Committee (REEC) to develop the “MetaSearch” module to serve the univer- sity community. This paper explains the process the committee underwent to create the categories and subcategories needed for this metasearch process. History of REEC The head of the reference department created REEC about ten years ago to eval- uate the newest form of reference tools, electronic indexes and abstracts. Since, for the most part, these products directly replaced print indexes and abstracts, it made sense for all members of the refer- ence department to belong to this commit- tee. REEC established and followed poli- cies and procedures to evaluate these products and made formal recommenda- tions to the library administration. Over the years, electronic versions of more than just indexes and abstracts have become avail- able; journals, reference books, govern- ment materials, and Web sites all needed to be tested and reviewed. Three years ago, REEC expanded its membership and its scope. Current membership includes all of the reference librarians and staff, librari- ans from government documents and library instruction, the head of serials, and the head of systems administration. The scope of REEC has become ambiguous. Some products, such as reference books in electronic form (i.e., Mental Measure- ment Yearbook), and those with library wide impact, such as electronic books (i.e., NetLibrary) are discussed by other groups. REEC tests and evaluates electron- ic products, makes recommendations to the library administration, approves which free resources, generally Web sites, should be added to the list of indexes and data- bases, and keeps up-to-date with new software and upgraded versions of exist- ing products. MetaSearch Categories and Subcategories In May 2005, the MetaLib task force charged REEC to identify the “MetaSearch” categories and to identify the databases/resources that should be included in each category within the mod- ule. The committee first had to understand how the “MetaSearch” process would work. Since the new software was not yet operational on site, the committee looked at several other university libraries that use this software to see how they organize their materials. Members had many questions, including the following: software compati- bility amongst the different products, which patrons the libraries anticipated using this search feature, and how to organize a huge number of databases (over 150) into a small number of cate- gories (less than 20). REEC’s first step was to agree on which patrons would be likely to use the “MetaSearch” function. The members believed that lower level college students (i.e., freshmen and sophomores) would use “QuickSearch.” Upper level under- graduates, graduate students, and faculty would more likely use “MetaSearch,” since it allows users to search multiple databases at once. Next, the committee focused on creating the categories within the module. Since it would be very difficult to change them at a later date, REEC needed to agree on the purpose and the name of each category. Members looked at the existing list of indexes and databases and agreed to use many current subject headings as future categories. The com- mittee wanted the groupings to reflect both the academic programs offered at MSU and the libraries’ collections. Therefore, they initially came up with fifteen cate- gories: General Reference, Catalogs, Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, Educa- tion, Law, Government Documents, Busi- ness, Sciences, Engineering, Health Sci- ences, Agriculture, Life Sciences, Archi- tecture, and Veterinary Medicine. MetaLib allows institutions to provide subcategories for each category. REEC had a hard time thinking of potential sub- categories without knowing which databas- es would go into each category. As chair of REEC, I asked everyone to put all the elec- tronic products (150+!) into whichever category or categories they thought each one belonged; I then compiled all the lists into a spreadsheet so the committee could see each other person’s placements. Some products fit neatly into one category, many belonged in several places, a few seemed to go into every category, and a few were hard to place into any grouping. It became obvious that everyone thought certain databases transcended sub- ject areas and needed to be in every cate- gory, so the committee created a subcate- gory, General, for every category except General Reference and Catalogs. Databas- es for this subcategory include: Academic Search Premier, Dissertation Abstracts, LexisNexis Academic, WorldCat, Newspa- per Source, Web of Science, Galaxy (the online catalog), ArticleFirst, and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Since REEC put all of these databases into “Gen- eral Reference,” and since it is not applica- ble to “Catalogs,” there was no need for the General subcategory in these two modules. Using the master list, members spent several days eliminating and adding resources to each category, and created subcategories for those groups that needed them. REEC recognized that the first cate- gory, General Reference, meant nothing to the majority of users, but needed to place several disparate databases together and call it something, and came up with that name. The committee also came up with
four subcategories: Reference, Biogra- phies, Papers, and News; the resources, generally speaking, fell neatly into one of those areas. Members created Catalogs to allow patrons to search multiple online catalogs; the next category, Arts and Humanities, proved more problematic. Since this mod- ule involved several different subject areas, REEC agreed that it needed seven subcat- egories: General, Literature, History, Fine Arts, Religion/Philosophy, Music, and Interdisciplinary. This way, a patron could find, for example, all the history databases easily without having to go through a list of twenty-six titles. The next category, Social Sciences, proved to be the most difficult challenge. The committee spent a lot of time dis- cussing the name, the subject areas, and the databases belonging to this category. REEC came up with ten subcategories to reflect the thirty-six resources: General, Psychology, Interdisciplinary, Communi- cation, Library Science, Sociology/ Anthropology/Social Work, Economics, Political Science, History, and Geography. The members had few problems with the next four categories: Education, Law, Gov- ernment Documents, and Business. Only Government Documents, with Federal, State, and International, has more than just the General subcategory attached to it. Committee members could not agree on how patrons would use the Science cat- egory. Some though it should be a clear- inghouse for all the science related data- bases, while others thought it should have the large, popular science/agriculture/ engineering databases in it. In the end, the committee agreed this category would help those patrons in physics, chemistry, mathematics, geosciences, and other relat- ed fields. The thirteen databases in Sci- ences reflect this thought. Almost everyone listed the same data- bases for the Engineering category; only one or two needed to be added to com- plete the list of seventeen titles. Some resources for the Health Sciences category appeared to go in other groupings, but eventually everyone agreed to the list of forty-one electronic products. After seeing that the next two cate- gories, Agriculture and Life Sciences, shared all but three databases, it became obvious to combine them into one catego- ry, ‘Agriculture and Life Sciences,’ with the largest number of resources, fifty-two attached to it. The last two categories, Architecture and Veterinary Medicine, are designed to help faculty and students in those two schools. Ultimately, the committee created four- teen categories, with four having more than one subcategory. Nine have only one, General, because members could not see the need for more. Only one, Catalogs, has no subcategories. While not everyone agreed where every database should go (or should not go), the committee always tried to anticipate the needs of the libraries’ users. After much discussion, and debate, REEC created an excellent way for advanced users to find multiple related databases they may or may not have thought of on their own, and to search them in one easy step. As the final step before sending a report to the task force, I shared this list of categories, subcate- gories, and databases with the library facul- ty and asked for their suggestions, ques- tions, and/or concerns. I received several thoughtful and helpful comments and the committee implemented many into the list. The libraries’ implemented MetaLib, with all its search features, before the fall 2005 semester started. Librarians and staff at MSU Libraries’ anticipated the huge impact MetaLib would have on its users. Many depart- ments, including reference, library instruc- tion, and the branch libraries, experienced a change in how they help patrons find information. Every librarian had to discuss this new search engine with their assigned departments. Faculty and students had many opportunities to express their opin- ions on how the categories and databases were arranged. Update MetaLib has been available for our patrons for two years, and we’ve noticed several things about its use. One is that the undergraduates like the QuickSearch function. They have twelve categories to choose from, including Business, Biogra- phy, Education, Humanities/History, Term Paper Due, Current Events, Engi- neering, Science, Literature and More, Agriculture, Health/Medicine, and Social Sciences. Each category has one to six pre-selected databases in it; the students bullet whichever category they want, put in their search words, and enter. They don’t know, or seem to care, which data- bases they are searching; they’re just interested in the results. The second thing is that a few of our databases are not com- patible with the federated software. This has proved challenging to us to remem- ber when teaching classes and helping patrons. Finally, it may be that our faculty are not utilizing the categories and MySpace as effectively as possible. This spring, the REEC will evaluate MetaLib by looking at the usage statistics and sharing anecdotal information. It may be that we find some categories and subcat- egories are working better than others. ࡯ Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 10 Members of REEC: Newkirk Barnes, Bradley Brazzeal, Jessica Buehring, Maria Collins, Ida Cunetto, Stephen Cunetto, Karen Davidson, Christine Fletcher, Cindy Harris, Marybeth Grimes (chair), Deborah Lee, and Gail Peyton. Harry Llull made signifi- cant contributions to this project as well. The author would like to thank Paul Grimes for his editorial assistance.
Page 11 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries Using RSS to Push Electronic Resources to the Patron: Giving Power to the Patron Steven Turner Associate Professor and Library Web Services Manager The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries The University of Southern Mississippi Abstract Steven Turner, Library Web Services Man- ager at the University of Southern Missis- sippi, explains RSS technology, its library applications, and details the process of implementing RSS feeds at USM Libraries. Turner includes online resources that proved helpful in this process. This is a useful article for those wanting to understand this technology and those wanting to offer the technology to patrons. About RSS Much has already been written about RSS, an XML language subset (or dialect) originally created by Netscape in the mid- nineties for the Netscape Browser’s Chan- nels environment (Celikbas 2004). Many libraries have taken advantage of this XML dialect to further their institution’s reach, to provide more effective resource discovery and presentation to patrons, and to gener- ally make their own lives easier as they attempt to discover, dissect and present salient information to their patrons. The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries is no different than any other library in our attempts to fulfill the afore- mentioned goals. This article will explain how we explored the advantages of RSS use as part of our attempt to meet those goals, and of our subsequent implementa- tion of RSS with our e-resources and library news items. The questions that beg asking, and that have already been extensively explored in numerous books and articles, are what is RSS and why is it important to my library? At its most basic, RSS (an acronym for ‘RDF or Rich Site Summary’) is essential- ly a specialized markup language – a sim- plified version (subset, child or dialect) of XML that provides a simple list of tags to describe content from a Web site. This RSS-tagged content is usually called a ‘feed,’ as in ‘RSS feed’ or ‘XML feed.’ Content published or distributed by a Web site is often referred to as being ‘syndicat- ed’ since “information is being shared with other sites at the same time” (Celikbas 2004). The type of content presented as an RSS feed is often transient or active in nature and generated from a dynamic source such as a database, e.g., newspa- per articles, news items, news headlines, new items in a library catalog, and databas- es. For example, if you were using RSS to serve news articles, then the RSS tags would mark up, delineate and identify spe- cific sections of the feed such as the article title, the article content or an associated image. Tags can contain data elements fur- ther describing or more accurately describ- ing the surrounded content (see Fig. 1). [Fig.1] New York Times feed example <rss version=”2.0”> <channel> <title>NYT &gt; Art and Design</title> <link>http://www.nytimes.com/pag es/arts/design/index.html?part- ner=rssnyt</link> <description/> <language>en-us</language> <copyright>Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company</copy- right> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 4 Jan 2007 12:05:00 EST</lastBuildDate> <image> <title>NYT &gt; Art and Design </title> <url>http://graphics.nytimes.com /images/section/NytSection Head- er.gif</url> <link>http://www.nytimes.com/page s/arts/design/index.html</link> </image> <item> <title>In China’s New Revolu- tion, Art Greets Capitalism</title> <link>http://www.nytimes.com/200 7/01/04/arts/design/04arti.html? ex=1325566800&amp;en=ba1a6b8418c 78d5a&amp;ei=5088&amp;partner=rs snyt&amp;emc=rss</link> <description>Auction frenzy is gripping the art world and in response hundreds of new sellers in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai are putting contempo- rary experimental artworks on the block.</description> <author>DAVID BARBOZA</author> <guidisPermaLink=”false”>http://w ww.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/arts/d esign/04arti.html</guid> <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jan 2007 12:01:17 EDT</pubDate> </item> </channel> </rss> The marked-up RSS feed can then be read by either RSS-capable browsers (such as the Mozilla Foundation’s Firefox, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7 or Apple’s Safari browser) (see Fig. 2), or aggregated by a newsreader or feed readers, which are software programs built specifically to col- lect, organize and read RSS feeds. Feed readers can be desktop-based or Web- based; online blogging tools and sites (blogger.com, for example, or MySpace) often offer integration of a feed reader component into a user’s blog which osten- sibly allows the blogger to incorporate RSS feeds from other Web sites directly into their blog pages. Just to muddy the waters a little, there happen to be several competing standards
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 12 of RSS – RSS 1.0, which offers more metadata tags, RSS 2.0, which offers the developer more leeway and flexibility (and is the semi-standard across the Web) and Atom, an extension of RSS 2.0 that offers the developer a more accurate program- ming model with a more flexible output (Yue and Greene 2006). Why Use RSS? A primary factor in RSS popularity is the fact that it is such a simple specifica- tion. The tags are easy for even non-XML programmers to parrot or understand; cre- ation and implementation requires only a good grasp of how to pull your information from a database or other data source and present this content as RSS marked-up text – either to what programmers call the stan- dard output or written to a text file. The other key is the willingness and recogni- tion by various entities on the Web to understand the power inherent in such an easy-to-read, easy-to-use and standardized description language. Programmers sim- ply create an RSS feed using various meth- ods, and locate this feed somewhere on their Web site. At that point, the reading software simply needs to collect that URL, parse the results of the requested page, and then present it to the user in some fash- ion. Consequently, information such as news headlines or link lists can be stored in the inter- face of a browser (as in Firefox’s Live bookmarks) or a newsreader and accessed directly without ever visit- ing the Web site that created this content. How Other Libraries Are Using RSS We (USM Libraries) definitely had our ideas about what we wanted to do with RSS – present news and information and syndicate our e- resources. But, were we missing some- thing? What were other libraries doing with RSS in these specific areas? How were they doing it, and were there other ideas that we hadn’t thought of that might also be useful to implement? A review of the current literature discussing RSS revealed some interesting ideas and implementa- tions. First, the idea of pushing a library‘s news and events was common and straightforward; it seems that (almost with- out exception) libraries who use push RSS feeds include at least one news feed. Com- mon examples include the University of Nevada Reno Libraries (Yue and Greene 2006) and Hennepin County Library in Minnesota (Library Technology Reports 2006). Some libraries use blogs to dis- seminate news while others use more typi- cal news-type formats or newsletter tables of contents (TOCs). A complete list of examples from the literature is shown below: ࡯ Offer “live hyperlinks to online resources” (Celikbas 2004) ࡯ Present news and announcement items as a syndicated feed (Celikbas 2004) ࡯ Offer lists of newly added items from the library catalog (Corrado and Moulaison 2006) ࡯ Present reader’s advisory recommenda- tions (Stephens 2006) ࡯ Broadcast podcasts (Huffman 2006) ࡯ Serve images (Yue and Greene 2006) ࡯ Create video media lists from the library catalog (Yue and Greene 2006) ࡯ Provide current awareness or TOCs direct from publisher Web sites (Celik- bas 2004) ࡯ Provide current awareness of subject materials from the catalog (Corrado and Moulaison 2006) ࡯ Build self-updating subject resource pages from the RSS feeds of other library, e-resource, internet sources and other blogs or RSS feed aggregation sites (Huffman 2006) ࡯ Push library blog content (Yue and Greene 2006) Most importantly, RSS gives the advan- tage to the patron. As mentioned before, library content can be “subscribed to and displayed everywhere, and users are no longer forced to remember to come to our site.” As a result, patrons are not forced to use our “proprietary interfaces” to discover and view content. Instead, resources are pushed to them and can be navigated and viewed in a single, consistent interface (Library Technology Reports 2006). RSS at The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries During the fall semester 2006, USM Libraries decided it wanted to push selected content to our users via RSS. We primarily wanted to push our electronic resources, but we were also keen to provide news, alerts and announcements via RSS feeds. RSS Feeds: The Easy Way Fortunately, the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries had just migrated its Web site to MODx, an open-source con- tent management system (CMS) which allowed any grouping of pages within the Web site hierarchy to be syndicated as an RSS feed. Our news, events and alerts sec- An RSS feed using Apple’s Safari browser.
Page 13 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries tions were logically organized as groups of folders within folders. Since each event announcement took the form of a page within each section folder, this hierarchical grouping allowed us to easily create RSS feeds from the pages contained within each section. Currently, USM Libraries have five current news and patron aware- ness areas available on the Web site: 1. Current Library News 2. What’s New in Library Collections 3. Known Problems – Electronic Services 4. Exhibits and Events 5. Library Newsletters and Guides The MODx CMS software allowed us to create an RSS feed from the contents of these five sections via a MODx RSS snip- pet (a small program that performs a spe- cific function and then communicates the result with MODx using the MODx appli- cation programming interface). The snip- pet we used (NewsFeed) to create RSS feeds automatically lists the pages con- tained in a designated directory. The result- ing feed’s URL is then accessed by your chosen news- or feed reader as mentioned previously. And while we used it to simply create an RSS 2.0 valid feed, the News- Feed snippet can also be customized in a variety of ways, such as setting copyright information, generating a link to the feed (rather than generating the feed itself), or truncating summary posts (among other options). RSS Feeds: The Hard Way However, our primary goal still remained – pushing our databases and e-resources to our patrons. Southern Mississippi Libraries stores their e-resource URLs, proxy infor- mation and e-resource metadata within a MySQL database; MODx provided no easy solution by which to retrieve this data so that it could be accessed by the NewsFeed snip- pet. So, as my major professor would say in library school, it was time to “roll our own” solution. The first thing we did was decide our application parameters. We wanted to use RSS 2.0 as this was the de facto standard for most RSS feeds, and therefore the most accessible and usable for our patrons (Yue and Greene 2006). We would use the PHP Web programming language on which the library Web services had stan- dardized to pull the data from the MySQL database. At this point I would write the program to wrap the data in the appropri- ate RSS tags and push it to the standard output. The alternative consisted of having the program create a text file of the pushed RSS data. While viable and present in the literature, this method seemed cumber- some and required the extra step of creat- ing the RSS-containing text file via a timed server operation every few hours or so, and was more suitable to an environment where one had less control of the data out- put (Corrrado and Moulaison 2006 ). Second, I had to research RSS 2.0, and find some valid examples of feeds. At its most basic level, an RSS feed is fairly easy to understand and parrot and can be creat- ed without a good understanding of all the specifics or background surrounding the specification. However, when you want the code to validate as a valid XML document, a decent grasp of the RSS specification and XML options available helps tremen- dously. Much of my research kept pointing me towards one Web site – feed validator.org, a non-profit Web site created by IBM pro- grammer Sam Ruby that includes annotat- ed specification of all RSS versions along with a Web-based validation program. The validation program will take your feed, parse it, and either output a successful result or output specific problems with your script along with line numbers. Most good RSS feeds look the same, so I used a readily available feed from the New York Times as an example. Well-writ- ten, valid and simple, it provided me with enough of a framework to complete ninety percent of my work without performing any heavy lifting (that is, writing my own code) via a simplistic copying of their for- mat. Unfortunately, when I started pulling data from the database and it failed to ren- der as an RSS feed, I knew I needed more help. A few minutes of troubleshooting with Feed Validator indicated problems with the data in the title tag and in the URL tag. A little more Web research indicated that I might have odd characters in the data fields, and various interest group blog postings indicated that inclusion of an SGML CDATA token in the tags would tell the browsers and feed readers what to USM uses the snippet NewsFeed to create RSS feeds that automatically list the pages contained in a designat- ed directory.
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 14 expect and how to treat these characters. A quick trip over to the W3C Web site’s HTML 4 section offered an explanation and description of the CDATA tag. The W3C defines CDATA thusly: CDATA is a sequence of charac- ters from the document character set and may include character entities. User agents should inter- pret attribute values as follows: ࡯ Replace character entities with characters, ࡯ Ignore line feeds, ࡯ Replace each carriage return or tab with a single space. User agents may ignore leading and trailing white space in CDATA attribute values (e.g., “ myval ” may be interpreted as “myval”). Authors should not declare attribute values with lead- ing or trailing white space. The addition of the CDATA token to the title and URL tag solved the invalid feed error for those tags. However, the Feed Validator application still wouldn’t validate my feed, and now indicated an issue with the description tag; based on the amount of text and non-standard ASCII entities within this datafield, I decided to simply escape the entire field by using the PHP functions of trim() and escapehtmlenti- ties(). This last addition to the script solved the problems, and the feed finally validated. The completed script looks like this (with numbered annotations): <? //include connection function [1] include_once(“/avatar/httpd/html /includes/db_connection2.php”); db_connect(“library”); [2] $sql = “select * from library. odbs_new where shown = ‘y’ order by name”; [3] $results =mysql_query($sql) or die (mysql_error()); [4] $date = date(“D, j F Y G:i:s A T”); [5] echo “<?xml version=”1.0” encoding=”iso-8859-1”?> <rss version=”2.0”>n”; echo “ <channel> <title>Library Databases</title> <link>http://www.lib.usm.edu/ind ex.php?id=41</link> <description>University Library Databases</description> <language>en-us</language> <pubDate>[$date]</pubDate> n”; [6] while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($results)) { echo “ tt<item> ttt<title><![CDATA[{$r ow[name]}]]></title> ttt<link><![CDATA[{$ro w[url]}]]></link> ttt<description>”. htmlentities(trim($row[de scription])) . “ </description> tt</item>n”; } echo “ [7] </channel> </rss>”; ?> GN Associates, Inc.Library Furniture and Shelving Rebuilding our communities one volume at a time Insurance quotes available Budget Projections Space Planning CAD Renderings SACS Information MS State Contract Purchasing Dunedin Public Library Wagner Branch Library GN Associates, Inc. 1349 Lakeshore Drive Metairie, LA 70005 glenn@glennnorton.com 1-888-828-0850
1. Include a pre-written library for con- necting to our MySQL databases. 2. Write the very simple SQL query. 3. The results are pulled from the data- base. 4. The publication date is formatted and placed in a variable. 5. The XML version is indicated, lan- guage encoding is indicated, RSS ver- sion indicated. The basic RSS contain- er for the database data is created. 6. A simple loop is created to iterate through the results set, and print all of the databases to the screen. 7. The file is ended with the appropriate tags. As you can see, the finished script is short and simple. Provided that the base data is easy to obtain in a manipulatable form, then the custom creation of an RSS feed is really very simple. Far more time was spent during this process researching the specifics of RSS 2.0 and learning its idiosyncrasies than was spent actually obtaining the data and writing the script. In fact, the title of this article section is a mis- nomer – creating this feed was not difficult, just more time-consuming than creating pages and clicking GUI interface buttons as was performed for the other feeds with- in the MODx CMS framework. However, all was not complete; there was one more item of business – browser auto-discovery of the RSS feeds. A link tag is needed in head of the document to indi- cate to patron browsers that an RSS feed(s) exists; this tag, which indicates a link to the URL location of each feed, also creates the RSS icon in the URL bar. The RSS icon, which differs according to browser type, functions in two ways. First, it visually noti- fies the user that RSS feeds are available for the taking on pages being viewed; sec- ond, the RSS indicator becomes an inter- face element – the user clicks and holds on the icon to reveal a drop-down menu of available feeds. Link Tag: <link rel=”alternate” type=”applica- tion/rss+xml” title=”Library Databases” href=”http://www.lib.usm.edu/scripts/d b_rss_feed.php” /> Results And Future Use The introduction of RSS at Southern Miss Libraries can be, I believe, character- ized as successful insomuch that: (a) their usage can be caveated by realizing that a relatively small number of the Web surfing population actually uses RSS in their daily surfing lives; (b) a cursory investigation of the Web site statistics shows steady usage of the RSS feed URLs; (c) anecdotal patron reporting indicates usefulness among fac- ulty and students. One thing is clear – RSS use will only increase as it becomes more common- place and users lose their unfamiliarity with the technology and the tools used to har- ness it, especially in light of the many browsers that now support RSS discovery. As for Cook Library, we intend to expand our RSS offerings to include a complete RS directory/Linked TOC to our Help and Library FAQ documentation, to develop RSS feeds from the library catalog, and to eventually build subject resource pages almost entirely out of RSS feeds. The latter is the most exciting, because we’ll be able to offer comprehensive patron tools that will auto-create by completely and pro- grammatically supporting themselves from RSS feeds, requiring almost no interven- tion by a subject specialist. The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries looks for- ward to a long and useful relationship with RSS. In an era where academic libraries often struggle with the perception of rele- vancy and subsequent usage, any tool that can provide the patron with more flexibility for discovering and utilizing our resources is a welcomed addition indeed. ࡯ Page 15 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries Results in drop down from RSS icon: RSS feed result in browser: References Celikbas, Zeki. What is RSS and How Can it Serve Libraries? In Proceedings First Interna- tional Conference on Innovations for the Future: e-Learning, edited by Mesut Yalvac and Sevin Gulsecen, 277-92. Istanbul, Turkey, 2004. Corrado, Edward M. and Heather L. Moulai- son.Integrating RSS Feeds of New Books into the Campus Course Management Sys- tem. Computers in Libraries. 26 no. 9 (2006): 6-9, 61-4. Huffman, Karen. Web 2.0: Beyond the Con- cept: Practical Ways to Implement RSS, Pod- casts, and Wikis. Education Libraries. 29 no. 1 (Summer 2006): 12-19. Ruby. Interwingly.net. RSS20andAtom20 Compared. http://www.intertwingly.net/wiki/ pie/Rss20AndAtom10Compared. Ruby, Sam.. RSS20andAtom10 Compared. Feedvalidator.org. http:www.feedvalidator.org. Stephens, Michael. Chapter 3 - RSS. Library Technology Reports. July-August 2006. Yue, Paoshan and Araby Greene. Do You See RSS in Your Future? The Serials Librarian. 50 no. 3/4 (2006): 305-10.
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 16 Renovating the Library Web Site: A Case Study Debra A. Riley-Huff Web Services/Reference Librarian Assistant Professor J.D. Williams Library University of Mississippi Abstract: The University of Mississippi Libraries Web site is undergoing a major refurbish- ing project. Site assessment leads to pro- posed major changes to the library Web site in the areas of infrastructure, design, accessibility, usability, and content upgrades in four phases. Riley-Huff dis- cusses the motivation and goals for the overall project and details the processes involved in the now-complete Phase I, which involved integrating major upgrades to the current library “bridge” page, homepage and secondary level headers and footers. Introduction In the summer of 2006, librarians at the University of Mississippi made a deci- sion to start a major library Web site refur- bishing project. This decision was based upon several converging factors related to library users, library staff concerns, the campus Web environment and the tech- nology needs of the Libraries’ electronic infrastructure. While the changes would be significant, there would be little or no toler- ance for Web site “down time.” The Uni- versity of Mississippi operates on the semester system with both winter and sum- mer intersession schedules. A plan was needed that would provide for a minimum of inconvenience to the campus community. The initial concern was the recognition that in order to accommodate future growth in Web and electronic services, the site needed to be upgraded to current Web standards. The underlying technical struc- tural changes would be significant enough to allow the incorporation of full scale site design and navigational changes. This conveniently coincided with a campus- wide push by the University administration to move towards a unified Web presence. New ideas regarding content, content pres- entation and user services have also been catalysts. The resulting project, currently well underway, is in the process of bringing the library Web site up to current Web stan- dards by utilizing a phased focus process to address structural standards as well as design, usability, accessibility and content considerations. Web site Assessment and Relevant Vision Before embarking on any type of large scale Web site redesign or upgrade, it is necessary to completely understand your current site’s strengths and weaknesses as well as how the Web site is accessed and navigated by your users. It is also neces- sary to have a clear picture and under- standing of current Web standards and design principles. This is essentially the prerequisite for getting your organization from point A to point B and on to points C, D, E ... ad infinitum; ad infinitum because, unlike static information sources, Web sites are constantly evolving entities which, due to the concept of hyperlinks, do not exist in isolation to themselves or even of them- selves. Rapidly changing technologies have already seriously impacted the way in which large Web sites can and should be maintained. While static HTML pages ini- tially sufficed, Web sites which still rely heavily on them are at a serious disadvan- tage in terms of site maintenance and growth opportunities (Dahl 2005). Libraries, as vital information organiza- tions, should show evidence of continual growth and change and this should cer- tainly be reflected in the library Web site. The first step in Web site assessment is to take a look at the site’s current architec- tural elements with a goal of shifting from static format to dynamic formats. This can best be accomplished by maintaining an organizational commitment to adhering to current Web standards. Understanding and keeping current with Web standards can be a daunting task, but it has been made much simpler by the leadership provided by the W3C. The W3C, or World Wide Web consortium, “develops interoperable technologies, specifications, guidelines, software and tools to lead the Web to its full potential” (W3C 2007). By modeling your Web site’s infrastructure to the rec- ommendations of the WC3, your organi- zation will be able to quickly respond to Web changes and utilize new technologies as they become available. Our initial assessment of the University of Mississippi’s library Web site revealed several areas which would need improve- ment, along with components that made the site very useful. Basically the weakness in the site lay in the significant use of stat- ic HTML and its accompanying overuse of font tags and table-based layout. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) was in minimal use and most often found in the difficult to maintain “embedded styles format.” While this type of Web site architecture was fine in its day, the reality is that for most sites it has grown into a maintenance headache that ultimately shows up poorly on the user’s screen, as well. The Web site also had some strong areas that gave us a good foundation to start with. The directory structure on the server was in very good order and the way SSI (Server Side Includes) had been incorporated into the headers and footers made the site switchover possible without inconvenienc- ing our users. In terms of design and usability, while most of the homepage and navigation was somewhat dated, the site did have some key design features that had generated a fair amount of library branding and recognition. We also noted accessibil- ity problems primarily related to images used as header fonts. Usability was a con- cern as well. The libraries had conducted usability studies of the site in recent years (Stephan et al 2006) and we knew, via our
Page 17 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries public service librarians, which areas of the site were problematic or inaccessible. Out of this initial assessment came the decision to make major changes to the library Web site in the areas of infrastructure, design, accessibility, usability and content upgrades. The major goals in each area are as follows: Infrastructure: We wanted to apply Web standards by upgrading the site to XHTML and fully integrated CSS and SSI. We also wanted to prepare the site for the eventual inclusion of data-driven components utiliz- ing PHP, SQL, Python, Ajax and open source content management tools. Design: Coincidentally, at the time we were assessing the site, the University Administration began moving toward a unified Web presence across all depart- ments. This is an international professional trend with many benefits to both the orga- nizational image and the user experience. We wanted to take advantage of this oppor- tunity to redesign our homepage and nav- igation with an eye to balancing university expectations with access to the library’s vast array of electronic resources. Accessibility and Usability: We built a process of removing barriers to the Web site and incorporating some enhanced accessibility features. We made an early commitment to usability by seeking input from library faculty and staff. We also included our users in structured usability studies. Content Upgrades: A commitment was made to examine and evaluate Library Web site content, department by depart- ment and to strive for uniformity and con- tent excellence. Team Formation, Project Planning and Goal Setting It was decided early on that there would need to be a working committee whose charge would be to provide the primary oversight for the upcoming and future changes to the library Web site. While the importance of having committee members with technical skills was obvious, there was also a significant amount of recognition by the library administration that Web services are indeed “public services.” Recent litera- ture regarding Web committee establish- ment and dynamics offered us valuable insights regarding what to expect from members and the group as a whole (Church et al, 2005). In formation of the group we sought to balance the team with members who expressed a real interest in the Web and members whose technical skills made them ideal members. To this end, a broad committee was formed of eight members whose skills represent both public service and technical service aspects of the organization. Two additional teams were also formed. A small Web site Graphics Team met regularly and worked out the major design elements of the site. This included color schemes, font choices, banner graphics and logo site branding images and locations. Additionally, a Usability Team was formed to test the site. Team members first completed training provided by our school’s Institutional Review Board regarding the testing of human subjects. The team was charged with completing and interpreting two qual- ity usability studies on the site’s new homepage and navigational elements before the site went into production. The University of Mississippi Libraries Web site, like most major University library Web sites, is large and complex. In order to meet our Web site renovation goals, it was necessary to create a project plan which would both break out tasks into manageable workflows and prioritize focus areas according to a logical schedule. We made a decision to set as a primary goal the implementation of a new homepage and navigational scheme (headers and footers) by the beginning of the spring semester. From this vantage point we were able to fragment the project initially intoThe USM Library homepage as of July 2006.
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 18 three large focused phases as follows: ࡯ Phase I: Consists of integrating major upgrades to the current library “bridge” page, homepage and secondary level headers and footers. ࡯ Phase II: Consists of prioritizing depart- mental upgrades according to a prede- fined rubric and upgrading each library department to current Web standards. ࡯ Phase III: consists of providing ongo- ing, dynamic database-driven Web capabilities and site management. (This also includes acquiring and setting up an Apache Web server in order to pro- vide dynamic content. The current Library Web site is located on a campus server which offers limited possibilities for dynamic services and content man- agement systems). With our stated goal of having a new homepage and navigational scheme up before the start of the spring semester, we began focusing on Phase I of the project. Our timeline gave us roughly four and a half months to complete this section. Good project management was critical to this phase of the project due to the tight timeline and firm deadline involved. By breaking the phase into fairly granular components and then placing the summa- ry elements and associated activities neces- sary for completion into a Gantt chart, it was clear where critical dependencies would be. This then allowed us to create an exacting, task-specific timeline to meet our goal. Nuts and Bolts: Problem Solving and Completing Phase I The core goal of Phase I was to create a new homepage, site-wide navigational scheme and prep the site for the transition to XHTML and CSS. Upgrading a large site’s code core while retaining original content can be a real challenge; however, a few temporary stages can make it possi- ble. When we initially set out to redesign our homepage and navigational system we did not allow ourselves to be constrained at all by the technical frailties of the existing site. In other words, we would bend and break the old site to accept the new rather than adapt the new site based upon any limitations imposed by the existing Web infrastructure. With the exception of some previously well-branded imagery (note the printer’s marks), the new homepage and navigational scheme is entirely fresh. For our new homepage, we created a top banner with a five section dropdown navigational menu set. The dropdown nav- igation menu is entirely built with CSS and is fully accessible. Although Web forums abound with naysayers, pure CSS drop- down menus are possible by coding in conditional comments for Internet Explor- er. We also wanted a fully accessible rotat- ing news feature to keep the site alive and interesting. This was accomplished with a JavaScript routine which freezes with all panes open when JavaScript is disabled. Footers have become increasingly impor- tant on large sites as navigational tools. In our footer we placed an A-Z site index and links to other areas of the University Web that we know our users need while they are still using our site. An early mock up of the site design was built in Photoshop and presented to the library faculty and staff for input and com- ments. From here, a rapid prototype was built and tweaked until it was exactly how we wanted it to look. It was this prototype that was used in our formal usability stud- ies. Coding the page and site navigation for total accessibility across all modern browsers took considerable time. We want- ed the site to be fully expandable with enlarged text without any of the content overlapping that so often plagues CSS- styled sites. By utilizing concepts of “Bul- letproof Web Design” (Cederholm, 2006), we were ultimately able to get everything we wanted in our design with full and even enhanced accessibility features. A significant problem related to upgrad- ing large Web sites that cannot be shut down is how to get new XHTML/CSS- based headers, footers and navigation into New homepage as of December 2006.
Page 19 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries older HTML pages. Or conversely, how can masses of content be migrated from HTML to XHTML (or PHP). Fortunately, at the UM Libraries, headers and footers were integrated throughout the site as serv- er side includes. One file controlled the header and another file controlled the foot- er. Normally, it would be a simple matter of building new include files and giving them the same names as the include files currently in use. This, however, is not often possible. In the case of UM Libraries, the stat- ic HTML pages could not accept the new header and footers for two reasons. The CSS dropdown menus in the header required that the pages they go into be XHTML and that the content areas are z-indexed. If content areas are not z-indexed, then over- lapping or rearranging of the page occurs. Both render the page useless. Additionally, because our pages are of different lengths, it was necessary to have a floating footer. Pages that are not properly coded cannot accept a floating footer as it actually will rise to the top of the page and hide behind the header. We solved this problem by cre- ating an interim header and leav- ing the old footer in place temporar- ily. The interim header did not feature a drop down menu. Rather, the top menu levels led to a new set of pages which mimicked the links on the drop down menus. In this way the site was still fully navigable from the older pages. Over the course of the next month, every page on the library site was fitted into a template which replaced the Doctype to XHTML 1.0 Transitional, replaced the old SSI code, referenced appropriate style sheets and created style control with only two content div tags. Conclusion At UM Libraries we have now begun the work of Phase II: content upgrades and Phase III: dynamic content and long term maintenance. Looking to the future, for large scale library Web sites, major renova- tions like these should become a thing of the past. Commitments to Web standards, dynamic technologies and daily attention to content will make library Web sites the cutting edge information portals they can and should be. ࡯ Note the small “home” link at the top left. Note the small “home” link at the top left. References Cederholm, D (2006). Bulletproof web design. Berkeley, CA: New Riders. Church, J. & Felker, K. (2005). Web team development. portal:. Libraries and the Acade- my. 5, 545-554. Dahl, M (2004). “Content Management Strategy for a College Library Website.” Library and Information Technology. 23, 23-29. Shea, D, & Holzschlag, M (2005). The Zen of CSS design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press. Stephan, E. , Cheng, D. T., & Young L. M. (2006). “A Usability Survey at the University of Mississippi Libraries for the Improvement of the Library Home Page.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship. 32, 35-51. W3C, (2007, 1,17). W3C World Wide Web Consortium. Retrieved January 21, 2007, from W3C World Wide Web Consortium Web site: http://www.w3.org/
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 20 Lamar County Library System’s Experience with Thin-Client Computing Jeanne Crider Director Lamar County Library System Jaketha Farmer Training and Technology Specialist Lamar County Library System Abstract Thin-client computing was implemented several years ago in the Lamar County Library System (LCLS) to accommodate a small IT staff. Since that time, the ways that libraries are used and how patrons store data have changed. Crider and Farmer have found that their once useful system is not able to accommodate their needs or their patrons’ needs. While thin- client computing works for some systems, it has not been successful for the LCLS. In their article, the authors look at how their thin client system is not working and what they are now trying to do to accom- modate their patrons’ needs. Introduction When I came on board as the new director in May 2006, I spent most of my time gathering information from staff and patrons with the intent of evaluating every aspect of the library system. Very quickly I decided that customer service – in terms of providing a patron and staff-friendly envi- ronment – would be my first priority. From the beginning, I was bombarded with com- plaints about public access computing from both staff and patrons. Lamar Coun- ty Library System is one of the few libraries in the state that utilizes thin-client computing. At this point in time, several major problems exist with our thin-client situation: 1. Patrons cannot use flash drives to save work because the thin-client terminals we own do not support USB 2.0. For the few newer terminals that do support USB 2.0, we can not configure the Cit- rix server to recognize those drives once plugged in. 2. If problems occur on the Citrix server and it unexpectedly shuts down, every- one connected, including staff and patrons, loses the connection to the server and thus all of their work. Branch managers often have to write notes on library letterhead to teachers explaining why students lost or could not finish presentations or reports. 3. Plug-ins, such as QuickTime, ActiveX, and Flash, cannot be downloaded onto the terminals to support many online activities. Only the system administra- tor can allow downloads to occur. This often requires that the server be reboot- ed, thus kicking everyone off the net- work. Even then, some plug-ins still will not open when a patron attempts to load a page. 4. With thin-client computing, network traffic must route through the host site; therefore, software, such as Internet Explorer and the Microsoft Office suite products, often runs very slowly. Even while typing in Microsoft Word, one experiences a latency that causes confusion and makes working in Word inefficient. 5. When problems occur, staff usually cannot troubleshoot and have to work around it until the IT consultant could be called in. Unfortunately, our IT con- sultant often cannot do a site visit on the same day (or week) that we call. In December 2006, our Training and Technology Specialist, Jaketha Farmer, and I took part in the Rural Library Sustain- ability workshop at the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC). As we sat around the tables in our various small groups, the dis- cussion focused on brainstorming ways to fund sustainable technology in a world of limited funds. “At Lamar County Library System, we need to decide whether we want to upgrade our thin clients or move back to a PC environment,” I said. “Thin clients…only in our dreams,” breathed one director. “We wish we had thin clients; PCs are such a headache,” another director stated. Jaketha and I looked at them incredu- lously. Were Mississippi public librarians seriously dreaming of one day moving from PC-based environments to thin-client computing? Surely they had not experi- enced how thin-client computing works, or Table 1. Active Workstations at LCLS (as of 2/2/07) # of # of Thin Clients PCs Staff Patrons Circ OPAC Lumberton Library 1 3 1 – Purvis Library 1 3 1 1 Oak Grove Library 3 10* 2 – Sumrall Library 1 3 1 – TOTAL *Two thin clients serve as OPACs.
Page 21 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries in our case fails to work. The grass is always greener on the other side. While we do not believe that this form of networking is bad for every situation, it has not worked for Lamar County Library System. We hope that by sharing our experience it will provide other librarians with the pros and cons surrounding thin-client comput- ing. While some see thin clients as the answer to their network problems, Lamar County Library System is realizing that thin- client computing has its own set of prob- lems and requires careful consideration. Background In July 1997, Lamar County Board of Supervisors voted to separate from Pine Forest Regional Library System and estab- lish the Lamar County Library System (LCLS). Becoming official in October 1997, LCLS was composed of three branches: Sumrall, Lumberton, and Purvis Public Libraries. The LCLS headquarters was located in Purvis Library. At that time, we were one hundred percent PC-based and most of our active computers were Pentium processors running Windows 98. In anticipation of a fourth branch, there were several 386 and 486 PCs being kept in storage. In the existing branches, each had at least three PCs for public use, one PC at the circulation desk, and one PC in each branch manager’s office. The public work- stations provided Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office. The branch manager and circulation workstations provided Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer and the library automation system (Sirsi’s Unicorn). At that time, all users had access to the floppy disk drives and CD-ROMs. Microsoft Office and Norton Antivirus were installed on each machine. Internet access was available through the MISSIN network and to gain entry, 56K lines ran from the two satellite branches to Purvis. A T-1 line connected Purvis to the wider MISSIN net- work through MLC and onto the Mississip- pi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) in Jackson. With the incep- tion of thin clients, the 56K lines had to be upgraded to T-1 lines. When Oak Grove opened in late 2003, this added another T- 1 line into Purvis, thus giving us three T-1 lines into Purvis and one going out to MLC onto ITS. On November 30 of last year, we migrated from MISSIN to Bell- south’s MPLS network. Sirsi’s Unicorn was – and is – the library’s automation system and it resides on its own server located in the administra- tive wing of the Purvis Library. With the inception of thin clients, two new storage servers were added: an application server and a domain controller/file server. What Is Thin-Client Computing? A thin client is “a low-cost, centrally- managed computer devoid of CD-ROM players, diskette drives, and expansion slots” (Thin Client). Thin-client computing relies heavily on the client-server model where the thin client provides a graphical display and the fat server houses all the software and performs all of the process- ing. In other words, thin-client computing provides an optical illusion. When patrons click on an icon locally, that software appears to be running locally as if it were installed on the machine itself. At LCLS, we have three servers, two of which are required to handle thin-client computing. First, there is the application server that runs the thin-client server oper- ating system, Citrix MetaFrame. This serv- er houses all software used by patrons and staff. Second, we have the domain con- troller/file server, which authenticates machines to the LCLS domain as well as centrally stores our data files. The Decision For Thin Clients In the late 1990s, the idea for thin- client computing came about for several reasons. First, funds were limited and although an IT consultant was hired on an as-needed basis, LCLS simply could not afford to hire anyone internally to handle even the simplest computing issues. Therefore, the full-time Head of Technical KEY TERMS Application server: A networked server dedicated to running software applications, such as the Microsoft Office suite. Domain Controller: Authenticates users to the network. Fat server: Same as an application server. Flash drive: Portable storage devices. Also known as memory sticks, thumb, jump, pen, or key drives. File server: A server that centrally stores data files. Mixed environment: Also known as hybrid environment, which runs both thin clients and PCs. Terminal Services: A server pro- gram running on Windows NT 4.0 (or higher) operating system that pro- vides the graphical user interface of the Windows desktop to user termi- nals that do not have this capability. (Terminal Services Product) Thin client: A low-cost, centrally- managed computer devoid of CD- ROM players, diskette drives, and expansion slots. (Thin Client) Thin-client computing: Relies heavily on the client-server model where the thin client provides a graphical display and the fat server houses all the software and performs all the processing.
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 22 Services, Terry Lajaunie, volunteered to help. Within a short time, this put him in the compromising position of performing not only acquisitions, cataloging, reports, and later serial control; but also constantly trav- eling to the branches to perform PC instal- lation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The anticipated growth and actual demand from the Oak Grove Library along with the wearing of many hats proved taxing for one person. After many meetings with vendors and at least one visit to another library sys- tem with thin clients, the decision was finally made. LCLS adopted the thin-client architecture as its first true network. This allowed the Head of Technical Services to deal with problems on the server in admin- istration rather than traveling to the branches. Why Return To Personal Computers? Three of the greatest inconveniences with thin-client computing are (1) latency and bandwidth, (2) the inability to add or configure much-needed drives such as USB 2.0 ports, floppy and CD-ROM, and (3) the inability to run certain types of pro- grams, including graphical games and online courseware. Latency & Bandwidth In plain English, latency is “wasted time” (Latency), which involves waiting longer than usual for a Web page to load or waiting on words that were just typed to appear on the screen. In terms of network- ing, it is “the amount of time it takes a packet to travel from source to destina- tion. Together, latency and bandwidth define the speed and capacity of a net- work” (Latency). To our understanding, T-1 lines are the minimum bandwidth for thin-client com- puting; therefore, we had to upgrade to T-1. During talks with hired consultants it was suggested that the move to the MPLS network would improve latency because the switches would be far more efficient than the outdated hubs in use prior to the migration. However, this did not occur and our only recourse would be to take Admin- istration up to a 3mbps line. Doing this would more than double our monthly telecommunications charge. We are one of only a handful of systems that run thin client, so when attending the MPLS forums last summer, Bellsouth consultants could not specify how MPLS would actu- ally function for our environment. Drives Although most thin clients now come with two to four USB ports, that does not guarantee that your staff or patrons will be able to utilize those ports because they will need to be upgraded/configured to work (if possible). For LCLS, 83% of our active thin client terminals are out of warranty, so no upgrades exist that would allow the use of flash drives. To add even one external floppy drive at each branch, we would need to purchase four newer-model thin clients. At this point in time, thin clients are not much cheaper than PCs, so the sav- ings in purchasing them rather than PCs is minimal. Just as configuring USB ports poses a problem, so too does adding other exter- nal drives including floppy drives, which at this point are becoming obsolete. With that stated: how do patrons save their work? How do they save that PowerPoint presen- tation or that research paper? PowerPoint presentations most often exceed the 1.44 MB storage capacity of floppy drives, so what can we do? Software & Internet Issues Aside from hoping to offer computer classes to patrons, we would also like to offer WebJunction courses to library sys- tem employees. However, with thin-client computing, this is impossible. According to WebJunction’s technology require- ments, purchasing and/or accessing an online course requires that cookies are enabled, pop-up blockers are turned off, and the course be launched from a PC with Internet Explorer. All of these require- ments simply cannot be met in our thin client environment. Words of Wisdom First and foremost, setting up a thin- client environment can be costly. Aside from the thin-client terminals, there are other costs, such as “dedicated servers to run the applications, possible network upgrades to handle the increased loads incurred by the thin client system, migra- tion costs, and software licensing” (Chickowski, Thin Client). When it comes to licensing, software companies will not be cheated. While a single license is needed on each PC that has the Microsoft Office suite installed, thin clients also need a license. The thin client license is called a client access license (CAL) that allows remote access to termi- nal services. Regardless, the equipment, software and other licenses will cost you dearly and any type of skimping when it comes to purchasing reliable and efficient hardware and software will result in the establishment of a poor back-end infra- structure. Instead of the thin-client comput- ing environment offering stability, it slowly but surely becomes a costly liability. Second, Windows updates are neces- sary. Our application server runs both Win- dows and Citrix MetaFrame operating sys- tems. In 2005, sets of Windows Updates were installed that “knocked out” the entire network. Apparently, Citrix MetaFrame had “an allergic reaction” to one of the Windows updates and our entire network was down for several days. Since we had no network for staff or patrons, we had no other choice but to call the IT consultant who worked until the wee hours of the morning for several days to get things back up. Third, thin-client computing was never meant to exceed more than 15% of a net- work. Currently, thin clients make up – to be exact – 86% of the active workstations
Page 23 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries at LCLS. “While it would be nice to replace all of your PCs with more easily administrated thin-client terminals, that is rarely advisable or feasible. … 85% to 95% of Citrix users work in a mixed envi- ronment” (Chickowski, Slimming Down). Fourth, upgrades in equipment are nec- essary. Just because thin clients have a five-to-seven-year life span, this is nothing to get excited about as the warranty expires within three years. If something goes wrong after the warranty expires, and you don’t have a large IT department, money is spent on an outside IT consultant. Our IT consultant recently found out that upgrades simply do not exist for terminals that are out of warranty. That seven year lifespan quickly becomes much less in reality. In actuality, you must purchase new thin clients and add external drives in hopes of configuring them to operate. Even then, there is the question of whether the server can be configured to recognize these external storage devices. Fifth, with some commercial software and hardware, there are compatibility issues. For example, Dymo label printers, of which we have quite a few, do not work in a thin client environment. However, the vendor’s Web site claims that they do and we purchased them with this understand- ing. We have learned that they must be attached locally to a PC to function on our network. Lastly, thin-client computing will not mask an already poorly managed IT envi- ronment. If your library system is not designed to properly manage your existing PC network, then thin-client computing may not make things any easier. Instead, it could shine a spotlight on your various networking problems, which places you in the position of either dealing with those problems or ignoring them in hopes that they will go away on their own. Of course the problems will not go away and your patrons will wonder who is actually in con- trol of your network. Conclusion Who could have known that in the five years since deploying thin-client comput- ing at LCLS, patrons (and some staff) would be carrying high capacity storage devices on their key chains? Who would have foreseen that students in junior high would be required to prepare PowerPoint presentations that far exceed the storage capacity of a floppy disk? Few could have foreseen such drastic changes in technolo- gy or our patron needs. Although there may be library systems throughout the state that find thin-client computing a viable alternative to PCs, Lamar County Library System has found thin clients to fall short of our needs and expectations. Patrons today are much more computer savvy than only a few years ago. Patron satisfaction is so impor- tant to the vitality of our library system and because of network problems we are sim- ply falling short. Aside from patrons, frus- trated staff cannot provide a high level of customer service without properly func- tioning equipment. In the coming months and years, Lamar County Library System will begin to add PCs to our thin client environment. Our hope is that we can function more efficiently in a more bal- anced hybrid environment by routing patrons to the terminals that will fit their needs. Those who need to do large pre- sentations and save them to flash drives can be put on PCs while those just check- ing email can be put on thin clients. After much research and consideration, we feel that this is the best decision for everyone involved. ࡯ References Chickowski, Ericka. (2005). “Thin Client Technology Gains Momentum.” Tech and Trends, 27 (7), p. 1. __________, Ericka. (2005). “Slimming Down: Thin Client Deployments Are Not Always Easy.” Tech and Trends, 27 (7), p. 30 “Latency.” Retrieved January 31, 2007 from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/ latency.htm “Terminal Services Product.” Retrieved Febru- ary 1, 2007 from http://searchwinit.techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid1_gci213124,00.html “Thin Client.” Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/ sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci213135,00.html Visit our Website: www.misslib.org
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 24 MLA Officer Nominees Vice President/President-elect ANNIE PAYTON Education: Ph.D. University of Mississip- pi (Psychology); M.L.S. University of Southern Mississippi; B.A. Tougaloo Col- lege (Psychology). Professional Experience: Director, James Herbert White Library, Mississippi Valley State University. Professional Activities: Member of ALA, MLA, ACRL, and Black Caucus of ALA. Publications and Presentations: Co- host of the 2006 ACRL leadership institute at Harvard University. Vice President/President-elect JAN WILLIS Education: M.L.S. University of South- ern Mississippi, 1998; B.A. University of Mississippi, 1979; A.A. Itawamba Com- munity College, 1977. Professional Experience: Director, Lee-Itawamba Library System, 2004-pres- ent; Assistant Director, Dixie Regional Library System, 1987-2004. Professional Activities: MLA, mem- ber: 1998-present; MLA Legislative Com- mittee, member, 2006-present; MLA Exhibits Committee, Co-chair, 2006-pres- ent, MAGNOLIA Database Selection Committee, member, 2004-present. Secretary JUDY CARD Education: M.L.S. University of Ten- nessee, Knoxville, 1972 Professional Experience: Youth Ser- vices Coordinator, First Regional Library, April, 2006-present; Memphis/Shelby County Public Library & Information Cen- ter, 1975-2003. Positions included: Chil- dren’s Librarian, South & Hollywood Branches; Manager, Main Library Chil- dren’s Department; Director, Adult Literacy Project; Administrative Assistant to the Director; Administrative Liaison to Friends of the Library; Staff Development Officer. Professional Activities: Mississippi Library Association: MLS Local Arrange- ment Chair, 2006. Tennessee Library Association: Chair, Staff Development Committee. American Library Associa- tion: Activities include: President, Continu- ing Library Education Network Exchange, 2005-2006; Congress on Professional Education Activity: COPE I-Steering Com- mittee, COPE II, Presenter; COPE III, attendee and facilitator; ALA Conference Coordinating Team-Toronto. Tennessee Storytelling Association-Secretary. Honors: Memphis Area Library Council Librarian of the Year 2004 Secretary JULIA RHOLES Education: M.L.S. Rutgers University, 1978; M.A. University of Texas (Austin), 1974 (Zoology);.B.A. Mount Holyoke College, 1972 (Biology). Professional Experience: Dean, Uni- versity of Mississippi, 2003-present; Assis- tant Dean, University of Kansas 1998- 2001, 2002-2003; Interim Dean, Univer- sity of Kansas, 2001-2002; Head, Refer- ence Division, Texas A&M University, 1990-1998; Acting Assistant Director, Texas A&M University, 1992-1994; Head, Maps & Microtext Depts., Texas A&M University, 1983-1990; Reference Librarian, Texas A&M University, 1978- 1983; Information Scientist, American Cyanamid, 1974-1978. Professional Activities: ALA, Member, 1980 to present; ALA councilor 2000- 2003; Reference and User Services Asso- ciation, secretary 1993-1995; MLA, 2003 to present; member, MLA Legisla- tion Committee. ASERL, member, 2003 to present; Chair, ASERL Education Com- mittee 2006 to present. EPSCOR Science Information Group, President 2006-2007. Publications and Presentations:: “Developing Partnerships to Create Elec- tronic Reserves at the University of Kansas Libraries,” (with Nancy J. Burich), Journal of Access Services, 1(4)59-70 (2003);“What Do the Patrons Think? Annie Payton Jan Willis Julia Rholes Judy Card
Page 25 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries Library Surveys: Old & New Approaches to Assessment,” (with Kay Wall), SOLINET Workshop presentation, Starkville, December 5, 2003. Honors: Frye Institute Fellow, 2002; Association of Former Students Outstand- ing Librarianship Award (Texas A&M Uni- versity), 1994; Whitney-Carnegie Award (American Library Association), 1990. Treasurer DEE HORN Education: B.A. Delta State University, 1996 (English) Professional Experience: George E. Allen Library, Booneville, 1998-present; Head Librarian, 2002-present. Professional Activities: MLA member; Graduate of 2006 Librarianship 101 Insti- tute; Attended Children’s Librarians Retreat in 2003 and Youth Services Retreat in 2006. Presentations: Learning programs for staff at 2006 Northeast Regional Library System staff meeting; Librarianship 101 Institute Alumni program at 2006 MLA conference. Grants & Honors: Awarded grants from Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, the Wal-Mart Literacy Fund, Prentiss County Literary Fund, and Libri Foundation. Treasurer AMANDA POWERS Education: M.I.L.S. Simmons College of Library and Information Science, 2005; B. A Wellesley College, 1996 (English). Professional Experience: Reference Services Librarian, MSU Mitchell Memor- ial Library Reference Department, 2005- present; Serials/Processing Staff, MIT’s Dewey Library, 2001-2005; Marketing Manager, Chronos Asset Management, Cambridge, MA, 1999-2001; Assistant Editor, Bantam Books,1996-1998. Professional Activities: ALA RUSA CODES committee on Collection Devel- opment Policies and Assessment, and ASERL Virtual Reference Group; Missis- sippi State University’s Faculty Advisory Committee for the Center for Teaching and Learning, Libraries’ Podcasting Commit- tee and Library 2.0 Group. ALA Councilor BILLY BEALE Education: M.S. (Library Science) Sim- mons College, 1976; A.B. Loyola Univer- sity of Chicago, 1971; additional study Chicago State University; Northern Illinois University; The University of Southern Mississippi. Professional Experience: At Meridian Community College: Dean of Learning Resources, 1992 - present; Head Librari- an, 1991-1992; Computer Assisted Instruction Supervisor, 1983-1991; Acquisitions Librarian 1982-83; Self Study Director 1979-1982; Circulation Librarian 1977-1979; Middle School Librarian Enrico Fermi Elementary School, Chicago, Illinois, 1973-1975. Professional Activities: ALA member for 32 years; ACRL Copyright Committee, 1988-1990; Social Responsibilities Task Force, 1989; ACRL-Community and Jr. College Libraries Section Committees: Ser- vice to Special Needs Students, Chairper- son 1987-1989; Computers in Communi- ty Colleges Application and Management, 1986; Integrating New Technologies with Learning Resource Centers, 1987-89; Conference Program Committee, 1982; Instruction and Use Committee, 1982. MLA: ALA Chapter Councilor, 2000-04; Executive Board Parliamentarian 1982, 2003; Legislative Committee, 1993; Junior Members Roundtable: Treasurer, 1979; Vice-Chair, 1980; MLA-ACRL nom- inating committee, 1984; Black Caucus Roundtable: Vice-Chair, 2003-04; chairper- son 2005-06; MAGNOLIA board member. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: On-site Evaluator of College Sup- port Services, 1980-present. Honors: MLA Past President’s Award 1980; Stone Wall Book Awards Juror, 2005-2007; ALA Councilor SHERRY LAUGHLIN Education: M.S.L.S The University of Tennessee, 1977; B.S. The University of Southern Mississippi, 1974. Professional Experience: Associate Uni- versity Librarian, 2006-present; Head, Infor- mation Services, 1996-2006; Head, Refer- Dee Horn Amanda Powers Billy Beale Sherry Laughlin
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 26 ence Department, 1990-1996; Govern- ment Documents Coordinator, 1986-1990, The University of Southern Mississippi; Medical Librarian 1980-1986; Veterans Administration Medical Center, Jackson; Ref- erence Librarian 1977-1980, USM. Teaching Experience: Government Publications 1987, 1989; Introduction to Reference Resources and Services 2001, School of Library and Information Sci- ence, USM; University 101, Division of Undergraduate Studies, 2002-2004; undergraduate advisor 2002-2006. Professional Activities: ALA: ACRL, LAMA, Chapter Relations Committee, Chapter Editors Interest Group 1987- 1990; RUSA Managers of Users Services Section Professional Development Com- mittee. MLA (selected): Association President 1993; Annual Conference Chair 1992; Conference Local Arrangements Chair 1999; ACRL President 1996; Mississippi Authors Awards Committee Chair 1989; Legislative Committee 1992-1995; Mis- sissippi Libraries editor 1986-1990, 2005; Constitution, Bylaws & Organiza- tional Review Committee Chair 1998. USM (selected): Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi President 1995-1996; Presi- dent-elect/President, Faculty Senate 1999- 2001; University Strategic Planning Com- mittee 1999-2000; Campus Master Plan- ning Committee 2000-2001; Presidential Search Advisory Committee 2002; Distrib- uted Learning Committee/Intellectual Property Subcommittee 2002; University Assessment Committee 2005-present; Library Building Committee 1990-1997; Library Allocations/Acquisitions Commit- tee Chair 1992, 2002-2006; Public Rela- tions Work Group Chair 2004-present. Publications and Presentations: “The Ready Reference Collection: Missis- sippi,” Tennessee Librarian, vol. 30, Fall 1978; “Concept Paper for a Statewide Health Information Network,” Mississippi Health Information Network organizational meeting, 1986; Mississippi Library Automation Directory, Jackson: MLA, 1987 (with E. A. Williams); “Challenges and Opportunities: Building Programs at MSU, UM, and USM,” Mississippi Libraries, vol. 55, Summer 1991; “Chart- ing Our Course: The Annual Conference of the Mississippi Library Association,” Mississippi Libraries, vol. 56, Fall 1992; “Sailing Through: MLA Conference a Success,” Mississippi Libraries, vol. 56, Winter 1992; Children’s Authors Speak, Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993 (with J. L. Porter). Honors: MLA Outstanding Achievement Award 1991; H.W. Wilson Library Period- ical Award for Mississippi Libraries 1991; Mississippi Legislature Higher Education Appreciation Day, Working for Academic Excellence nominee 1992. SELA Representative ADRIENNE MCPHAUL Education: M.L.I.S. University of Alaba- ma, 2003; B.A. University of South Alabama, 2002 (English). Professional Experience: Information Services, Cook Library, University of Southern Mississippi, 2003-present. Professional Activities: Chair, MLA Library Instruction Roundtable. Publications and Presentations: Journal of Academic Librarianship, The Southeastern Librarian and The Georgia Library Quarterly. SELA Representative DEBORAH LEE Education: Ph.D. Mississippi State Uni- versity, 2005; M.S.B.A. Mississippi State University, 1998; M.S.L.I.S. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1990; B.A. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1984. Professional Experience: Associate Director, MSU Center for Teaching and Learning, 2006-present; Associate Profes- sor/Coordinator, Library Instructional Ser- vices, Mississippi State University Libraries, 2003-present; Reference Librar- ian, MSU Libraries, 2000-2003; Coordi- nator of Serials, MSU Libraries, 1997- 1999; Acquisitions Librarian, MSU Libraries, 1993-1997; Collection Devel- opment Librarian, Millsaps College, 1991-1993. Professional Activities: MLA, SELA and ALA member; Past chair of MLA’s Association of College and Research Libraries section and Automation and Net- working Roundtable. Publications: “The Union Relative Wage Effect for Academic Librarians” in Industrial Relations, “Research Consulta- tions: Enhancing Library Research Skills” in Reference Librarian, “MAGNOLIA Resources for the Classroom” in the Mis- sissippi Reading Journal, “iPod,You-Pod, We-Pod: Podcasting and Marketing Library Services” in Library Administra- tion & Management, and “Mentoring the Untenured Librarian: The Research Com- mittee” in College & Research Libraries News. ࡯ Adrienne McPhaul Deborah Lee
Page 27 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries About Books Iles, Greg. True Evil. New York: Scribn- er, 2006. [512 pp.] $25.95 hardcover. “True evil has a face you know and a voice you trust.” Like an adoring husband or a beautiful wife, as you will come to believe in this latest of many books of mys- tery and intrigue by Natchez native, Greg Iles. Like most of his works in recent years, this mystery is set in Natchez and its envi- rons. If you have visited its local shops and restaurants, such as Planet Thailand on N. Commerce Street, you will enjoy the local hometown feel of this thriller. When Agent Alexandra Morse, a suc- cessful FBI negotiator in hostage situa- tions, makes a fatal error on her last case, it ends with her partner’s death and multi- ple lacerations to her face. But Alex is already a woman in crisis. Suffering from the loss of her father, a bystander in a hold- up gone badly, she must face an addition- al calamity as her mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. With the sudden death of her sister, sorrow finally finds a breaking point; she is compelled to go solo as she focuses all her energies and resources to find some answers. A death bed plea from her sister Grace launches Alex into a murder investigation not sanc- tioned by the FBI. But her promise to pro- tect her young nephew Jamie keeps her focused on what is most important as she goes it alone in her search for a killer – or killers – responsible for the all too natural, untimely death of her sister. Unknown to Alex, a ruthless lawyer in Jackson, Mississippi offers an unusual service for wealthy clients intent on finding a way around divorce and prenuptial agreements that proves to be more lucra- tive than acrimonious settlements could ever be. His partnership with a ruthless medical genius named Dr. Eldon Tarver seals the deal in providing trusting victims for his diabolical medical experiments too heinous for the ordinary mind to comprehend. When Alex begins to untangle the web that is designed to entrap its next victim, a small town doctor in Natchez, she takes a big chance by warning him that his perfect life with a beautiful new wife is not to be believed. So begins a tense and uneasy struggle between Dr. Christopher Shepard and the rogue FBI agent. Together they are locked in a series of events that finally con- vince the reluctant Dr. Chris to take measures to protect himself and his young son. Mystery thrillers set in familiar places take on a credibility that you might not expect. True Evil has just enough reality in its characters and settings to make it believable that something truly evil could even happen in a charming town on the Mississippi River. Highly recommended for a good weekend read. Ann Branton Head of Bibliographic Services The University of Southern Mississippi — ◆ — Kolin, Philip C. Wailing Walls. Wind and Water Press, 2006. [51 pp.] $9.95 paperback. Kolin, Philip C., and Susan Swart- wout, eds. Hurricane Blues: poems about Katrina and Rita. Southeast Mis- souri State University Press, 2006. [181 pp.] $17.00 paperback. Two books of poetry on a similar theme associated with Philip C. Kolin seemed a natural pairing for review. In Wailing Walls, we get the deeply personal side of Kolin’s poetry. He looks starkly at suffering in a multitude of forms, mostly described in the structure of a personal story. He uses images that are both expected and unexpected in his stories, and his perspec- tive remains true to a Catholic heritage. The book begins and ends with poems that could be read as prayers, as might be expected by the book’s title, and the last poem finally brings hope for redemption of all the described suffering. Some poems are too personal to carry a broad meaning, and rarely does he startle his reader with new insight. This book is recommended for libraries with strong literature and Mis- sissippi writer collections. The publishers can be contacted at timesing@zoominter net.net. In Hurricane Blues, Kolin and Swart- wout present the poems of many poets. Some are well-known in the poetry world, and others are new to publication. This collection is amazing in its variety of voic- es and styles. Most poems are first person experiences, and display how widely the damage was felt throughout the country. Many of the poems invoke Nature and God – even Gaia gets a mention – but the most moving stories are those that focus on the small details with large implications. Many of the poems express the anger and the pain of the experience; politicians are not considered favorably by these poets. The poems are grouped thematically from expectation to experience to recovery to resolution, with one entire section devoted to the flooding of New Orleans. This pro- gressive organization does a good deal toward encouraging the hopefulness expressed in the editors’ forward. Also, proceeds from the sale of this book will go towards hurricane relief. Since the poems are so personal and touching, it is disap- pointing that biographies are not included. The editors’ intend this anthology to be a historical record of experience, and as such, this book is recommended for libraries keeping such records and for libraries with strong poetry collections. Christina Torbert Head of Serials University of Mississippi — ◆ — Herndon, Ernest and Williams, B. Scott. Paddling the Pascagoula. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 2005. [196 pp.] $20.00 paperback. I live in Petal, Mississippi and drive over the Leaf River daily. This book revealed the beauties and wonders of the river and how often we take for granted something that we cross every day. Now when I drive
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 28 over the bridge, I look down and pay attention to the boaters and the river. Pad- dling the Pascagoula gives a glimpse into the lives of people that live around the river and into a little known Mississippi treasure, the Pascagoula River. Three rivers are covered in the book. The two authors present different perspec- tives of tributaries of the Pascagoula River. The first part by Herndon covers the Leaf River, part two is the Chickasawhay River by Williams, and then both Herndon and Williams take different parts of the Pascagoula River. The upper Pascagoula is covered by Herndon and the lower Pascagoula by Williams. The narrative of this work is very descriptive and gives interesting viewpoints of two narrators: Ernest Herndon and Scott B. Williams. Herndon is a traditional adventurer who uses a canoe and Williams a kayaker who is more unconventional. Both perspectives add a richness and added dimension to a remarkable account of floating down the Pascagoula. I especially enjoyed the accounts of meals that the adventurers enjoyed. When I began to read the book, I was surprised when I realized that it was not a trail guide but a narrative diary. I was dis- appointed that the illustrations were not in color, but the authors explain they were unable to have color photographs due to budgetary constraints. The pictures in the book were taken by the authors and con- vey the beauty and wonders of the river such as a picturesque scene of dawn on the Chickasawhay River; a waterfall on the Leaf tributary and lagoons and cypress swamps. One weak point of this work is that it lacks a map of the Pascagoula River. Paddling the Pascagoula is recommended for all Mississippi libraries. Tracy Englert Media Librarian University of Southern Mississippi — ◆ — Fraiser, Jim; photography by Rick Guy. Vanished Mississippi Gulf Coast. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co., 2006. [104 pp.] $22.95 hardcover. Jim Fraiser, Tupelo lawyer and author of ten books, had a premonition in 2003 after finishing his novel titled, Camille. He stated, “Upon observing predictions that we were mired in a thirty-year-cycle of more frequent and destructive hurricanes, I became concerned that my beloved Mis- sissippi coast was due another Camille-like hurricane that would devastate the region.” In 2004 his own brother-in-law sustained three separate hurricanes in Punta Gorda, Florida. Fraiser urgently approached his pub- lisher with an idea to preserve the coast’s history, architecture, and culture through text and photography. They agreed and he again teamed with award-winning photog- rapher, Rick Guy. Guy provided the cam- era work in their 2004 Pelican release, The Majesty of Eastern Mississippi and the Coast. He currently works for The Clarion-Ledger, but his talent also appears in numerous news magazines such as Newsweek, People Weekly, and Time. It is with great luck Guy clicked his last frame days before Katrina struck. Fraiser literally, and with clear, color photos by Guy, leads us down the coastal road of Katrina’s destruction. Using Van- ished Mississippi Gulf Coast as our guide, we begin the journey in the eastern- most town of Ocean Springs. As if travel- ing on U.S. Highway 90, we pass through Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, Pass Christ- ian, and terminate in Bay St. Louis. Each coastal community is a chapter with three main sections: history, architec- ture, and culture. In the history section, we marvel at the Civil War “Bedsheet Surren- der” in Pass Christian and the use of “Cas- sette Girls” to transport gentility into fron- tier Biloxi. My favorite section, architec- ture, surrounds the reader with Greek revival structures, French colonial houses, and Creole cottages. One will be exposed to terms such as “second-story accordion railing” on the Tullis-Toledano House of Biloxi and “three-bay façade” as exempli- fied by the Widmer House of Ocean Springs. The terms, given without descrip- tion, are easily recognizable through Guy’s Edward Hopper-like photography. The culture section reads like a modern day chamber of commerce brochure. Museums, artist colonies, restaurants, Krewe events, and festivals were among the many activities one might have partici- pated in prior to Katrina. Unfortunately, these events may find themselves in the history section if conditions remain harsh for inhabitants. Time will tell, as the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport and the Bay St. Louis Little Theater slow- ly rebuild, repair, and reopen. Readers will enjoy Fraiser’s narrative, non-fiction style and Guy’s 142 color photographs. With every page turned, we read fun trivia such as, Long Beach once held the title of Radish Capital of the New South and Barq’s Root Beer is an 1898 Biloxi original. Guy’s before and after pho- tographs are intriguing, especially Gulf- port’s The Chimneys; one glances back and forth trying to distinguish recognizable landmarks from the famous restaurant. Readers may also question, “What kind of animal is perched atop the Dantzler- Fabacher House roof on page 65?” As a librarian, I feel this book lacks one necessity: an index. It is chock full of information well-informed researchers might pass over. In addition, when reprint- ing, I suggest the publisher fix minor, typo- graphical errors, and include a map of the coast. During William Faulkner’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, he said, “I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail.” With this profound quote, Jim Fraiser ends his most recent book with hope. Vanished Mississippi Gulf Coast is a tour-de-force of coastal communities devastated by hurricane Katrina. I recommend Vanish to public and academic libraries in Mississippi. It appeals to many readers, especially history buffs and Mississippi collectors. Maggie Moran Public Service & Reference Librarian Northwest MS Community College ࡯
Page 29 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries People in the News Gabriel Morley has been named director of the Pike-Amite-Walthall Library System headquartered in McComb, effec- tive Jan. 1, 2007. Prior to coming to PAWLS, Morley served as director of the Washington Parish Library System in Franklinton, Louisiana. He was a daily newspaper reporter for eight years before earning his MLIS from the University of Southern Mississippi. Morley replaces long-time PAWLS director Toni James, who had been with the library for more than thirty-one years. James joined the PAWLS staff in 1975 and was named director in 1981. In 2000, she oversaw the construction of a state-of-the-art $3.2 million, 21,410 square foot main library and headquarters. — ◆ — Melissa Moak, a former elementary school librarian in the McComb Public School System, has joined the PAWLS staff as the new reference librarian. She earned an MLIS and a bachelor’s of sci- ence degree from the University of South- ern Mississippi. — ◆ — Nan Moak has accepted a job offer as Librarian at McMorrough Library on the Goodman campus of Holmes Community College. Ms. Moak, who has already assumed the position, received her BA in International Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2003 and MLIS degree from Louisiana State University in 2005. Immediately before her new appointment, Ms. Moak worked as a cata- loger with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in the Archives and Library Division. At her new station at Holmes Community College, Ms. Moak will work primarily with students in refer- ence and on faculty outreach. — ◆ — Josie Roberts, Purvis Elementary School Library- Media Specialist, received the 2006 Carroon Apple Award, sponsored by the Mississippi Library Association. The MLA School Libraries Section selects and presents the Carroon Apple Award for the purpose of recognizing out- standing accomplishment in the field of school library media services. Mrs. Roberts was one of three from Mississippi to be added to the American Library Asso- ciation and the Association for Library Trustees and Advocates 2005 National Advocacy Honor Roll that is awarded once every five years. With the leadership of for- mer Senator Jim Bean, Mrs. Roberts lead a statewide effort to secure legislation for every child in Mississippi to receive the services of a certified public school librari- an. Mrs. Roberts became a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Library Media in 2003. — ◆ — Maggie Moran, Public Service and Reference Librarian at Northwest Missis- sippi Community College, has accepted a two-year term on the American Library Association’s Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners Committee. Sponsored through the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fifteen members will meet at each ALA conference to compile lists. A book will result from their work. — ◆ — Hired in 1982 as Director at Blackmur Memorial Library in Water Valley and as Branch Head at Jesse Yancy Memorial Library in Bruce in 1984, Ann Ivy King has spent more than half her life in service to the library community of northeast Mis- sissippi. She will be retiring March 31, 2007, with no concrete plans for her retirement. “We never know what life will bring; I always said that if you had told me in 1981 (with my fresh BA in Biological Science) that I would spend the next twenty-five years as a librarian, I’d have laughed in your face! But God had plans for me, and I hope He still does,” said King. Those plans may include more time at her antique/gift store, Artifacts, on the town square, storytelling at local libraries and festivals, or graphic design and Web page design, all jobs she has juggled while serv- ing as librarian. — ◆ — Prima Plauche has retired as Direc- tor of the Hancock County Library Sys- tem after thirty-one years of service. Dur- ing Plauche’s tenure, library services in Hancock County grew from a single library to a system of facilities, programs and services that won numerous awards including the National Award for Library Services in 2001. The Board of Trustees has bestowed on Plauche the title of Direc- tor Emeritus, and she will continue to serve on the Library Foundation of Han- cock County Board of Directors. She has served on numerous state and regional committees and organizations, including the Mississippi Statewide Telecommunica- tions Taskforce and the Mississippi Prima Plauche Josie Roberts
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 30 Statewide Information Network Taskforce. She also served as President of the Missis- sippi Library Association in 2003. — ◆ — David Woodburn has been promoted to Executive Director of the Hancock County Library Sys- tem (HCLS). He replaces retired direc- tor Prima Plauche. Woodburn has been with HCLS for ten years, serving as Public Services Coordi- nator, and Assistant/Deputy Director. Prior to coming to HCLS, he served as Execu- tive Director of the Mississippi Library Commission and Director of the Jefferson Parish (Louisiana) Library Department. Woodburn has also been Director at libraries in Yazoo City and Greenville, Mis- sissippi. “The Library Board of Trustees is pleased to have someone with his level of experience,” said Mary Sinders-Boutar, Board Chairman, “and we feel David is a real asset to the Library System.” — ◆ — Candace Vance has joined the Row- land Medical Library faculty at the Univer- sity of Mississippi Medical Center in Jack- son in the capacity of Head of Lending Services. Prior to joining the Rowland fac- ulty, Vance served as a reference librarian and ILL coordinator at Murray Sate in Murray, Kentucky. Vance has also worked at Aquinas College Library and at Vander- bilt’s Eskind Biomedical Library, both in Nashville, Tennessee. ࡯ David Woodburn News Briefs Guild Gives Check for Hurricane Relief The Bay Oaks Quilt Guild presents a check to the Kiln Public Library for Hurri- cane Katrina relief. The Guild created a quilt from Katrina remnants and other fabric to be auctioned off for the benefit of the library. Dream World One, Inc. in Santa Rosa, California, auctioned the quilt off at a fundraiser. Pictured presenting the check are, from left, Quilt Guild members Kay Buccola, Mary Hanson, Gloria Burlette; Sandra Ladner, Kiln Public Library Branch Manager; and Guild members LouAda Hanson, Therese Springer and Xochitt Piper. MLA Poster Shown to Bruce Rotary Club Bruce Branch Librarian, Ann Ivy King, and Purvis Branch Manager, Donna Phelps Fite, were invited to present their 2006 MLA poster session, “Silence Speaks Volumes: Adoption Adds Atmosphere” in December for the Bruce Rotary Club, Bruce, Mississippi. The poster session displayed the cause and effect of the Bruce Friends’ adoption of the Purvis Public Library following the damage caused by Hur- ricane Katrina. With a silent auction the friends raised and donated $1,000 to the restoration and/or replacement of lost materials. Several members of the Friends of the Bruce Library were present for the presentation. Pictured from left to right are Fran Russell, President of Friends; Jo Ann Denley, Treasurer; Donna Phelps Fite; Ann Ivy King; Penny Nelson, Secretary; Tina Bennett, Vice President. ࡯ Quilt Guild members present check to Lander. Photo by Mary Perkins. Silence Speaks Volumes: Adoption Adds Atmosphere poster presentation. Photo by Joel McNeece of the Calhoun County Journal.
Page 31 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries December 15, 2006 10:00 A.M. The meeting was called to order at 10:05 A.M. by Susan Cassagne with the following present: Susan Cassagne, President Tracy Carr, Special Library Section Deb Mitchell, Legislative Committee Jennifer Smith, Outgoing Public Library Chair Randy Sherard, Trustee Otha Keys, Incoming Secretary Catherine Nathan, VP/President-elect Jackie Quinn, Secretary Black Caucus Round Table Rob Lipscomb, ALA Counselor John Whitlock, Special Library Section Mary Julia Anderson, MLA Marsha Case, JHLS Jeff Slagell, VP-Elect Carol Green, Treasurer Margaret A. Bell, Vice Chair Elect Black Caucus Diane B. Willard, School Section Chair A quorum was declared and the minutes from the last meeting were handed out, read, and it was moved and seconded that the oral report of minutes be accepted. There was also a recommendation of the bylaws committee which was set. ࡯ Carol Green orally presented the treasury report and stated that copies will be given out later, because all expenses were not in. Therefore the report was not a complete and full account- ing of 2006 and the total income amount listed was off. Catherine Nathan stated that as of Thurs- day, December 14, 2006, the budget was bal- anced, matched and the issue would be revisited after the new year at the next meeting. It was then moved and seconded to accept the financial report. It was approved unanimously. ࡯ Susan Cassagne reported that it was a great conference and wanted to say thanks to everyone for the good time had by all. She also stated it had been a long year and wanted to thank every- one for staying on a second year and staying together. ࡯ Catherine Nathan gave her VP report of the conference evaluation and seconded Susan’s comments of a great convention. She stated that 525 people came through and it was well attend- ed. However, only fifty-seven evaluations were returned. She handed out an overview of com- ments. A special thanks was given to Glenda Segars and Jan Willis, who made the exhibits happen. Even though there were restrictions placed on us by the casino as far as refresh- ments, hotel rooms, etc. were concerned, overall things went very well. One hundred forty people attended the Presidential Bash and the pre-con- ference was a hit. There were more school librar- ians at this conference than ever before. Susan then had a conference related question dealing with the issue of reimbursement for someone who didn’t attend the conference and wanted to know if they could get their money back because the board was being asked to reimburse them for the registration fee. It was not from an individual but from an institution. A vote was taken for the institution to get only the registration fee back, because the meals had already been paid for. Catherine said yes and Robert Lipscomb second- ed the motion. The vote was unanimous to refund the money. ࡯ Robert Lipscomb gave his ALA report. He stated he would be attending ALA’s Midwinter meeting in January, other than that there was nothing major to report, but will inform us when he returns of any late breaking news and items of interest. ࡯ Jennifer Smith of the Public Libraries Section reported that they had elected new officers, who are as follows: Marsha Case, Chair; Madonna May, Vice-Chair; and Victoria Penny, Secretary. ࡯ Dianne Willard of the School Section had no report to give. ࡯ Tracy Carr and John Whitlock represented the Special Library Section and stated they give tours of great programs. ࡯ Randy Sherard, trustee, had no report to give. ࡯ Margaret Bell of the Black Caucus wanted to thank the local arrangements committee for all of their help during their luncheon. ࡯ Susan Cassagne stated that Hester Plauche made a challenge to give $1,000.00 to the Black Caucus if they raised $3,000.00, which will be put on the list serve and she wanted MLA to take a more active role in helping them raise funds. ࡯ Jennifer Smith from the Fiscal Management Committee said she would present her findings later. ࡯ Deb Mitchell of the Legislative Committee said she would present her report later. ࡯ Otha Keys gave the membership report and presented the committee with a handout of her findings. ࡯ Jeff Slagell gave some conference observa- tions. He reiterated how much First Regional played a big part in this conference after bounc- ing back from Hurricane Katrina. He gave a spe- cial thanks to Catherine Nathan and all of her staff for all they did and she said thanks on behalf of all of her employees and helpers. There was no old business. There was no new business. Susan Cassagne declared the 2006 Board Meeting adjourned at 10:40 a.m. and passed the gavel over to Catherine Nathan. Susan later emailed me a copy of the 2006 Final Report of the Black Caucus Round Table from Billy Beal. ࡯ December 15, 2006 10:45 A.M. The board meeting began at 10:45 a.m. with Cather- ine Nathan passing out a list of new officers. The fol- lowing individuals were in attendance: Susan Cassagne, President Tracy Carr, Special Library Section Deb Mitchell, Legislative Committee Jennifer Smith, Outgoing Public Library Chair Randy Sherard, Trustee Otha Keys, Incoming Secretary Catherine Nathan, VP/President-elect Jackie Quinn, Secretary Black Caucus Round Table Rob Lipscomb, ALA Counselor MLA Executive Board Meeting Minutes
Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 32 John Whitlock, Special Library Section Mary Julia Anderson, MLA Marsha Case, JHLS Jeff Slagell, VP-Elect Carol Green, Treasurer Margaret A. Bell, Vice Chair Elect Black Caucus Diane B. Willard, School Section Chair The next Executive Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 6, 2007 at 2:00 p.m., which is also MLA’s Annual Legislative Day. ࡯ Deb Mitchell reported that on Legislative Day all attendees will meet with Sharman Smith, Executive Director of Mississippi Library Com- mission, who will give everyone legislative high points at 4:00 p.m., with a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. She stated that this year the func- tion will be held at MLC instead of The Eudora Welty Library. Also, MAGNOLIA is 10 years old and they will be hosting a birthday reception for MAGNOLIA. She also brought up information concerning personnel grants and asked if we could have a representative present at the Missis- sippi Municipal Association and Mississippi Board of Supervisors Meetings. Deb presented the goals from the Legislative Committee. The committee developed 14 goals with number 14 - explore the possibility of obtaining First Respon- der Status for public libraries – being new and recently added. The goals will be posted on the list serve. National Library Legislative Day will be May 1, 2007 and May 2, 2007. Deb will be Co-Chair along with Glenda Segars. The rec- ommendation was made to vote to adopt the legislative goals and it was unanimously voted upon and adopted. Jeff Slagell wanted to know how many went to D.C. last year and was told it was 12. ࡯ Jennifer Smith of the Fiscal Management Committee passed out the 2007 Proposed Bud- get and the recommendations from her commit- tee. She stated that Linda McKay made the spreadsheet that they use and it makes life easier. She then suggested and recommended that we meet and amend the budget 4 times a year. For Item 5570 – Convention Grant was added where speaker fees will go, but it is not as accu- rate because not all the expenses are in. We went down on membership dues because of Katrina and other issues. There also was not much done with the Legacy Club. Item 5520 will change and be more. Donations will also change and be more. So for the February meeting we will be given an amended budget. Item 6700 dealt with program printing. Catharine Nathan stated that printing was donated for the pre-conference mail out. The question arose as to how convenient was that mailing? Susan suggested mailing out a very, abbreviated one and put on it for more information to go to the MLA website. For the recommendations to the Board from the Fiscal Management Committee, there was no discus- sion and we took a vote up or down. The vote was unanimous to accept the recommendations. ࡯ The nominating committee, who is chaired by Frances Coleman, with Paul Cartwright being the Chair of the Election Committee, sent recommendations for upcoming candidates. The candidates are as follows: VP Candidates – Annie Peyton & Jan Willis Secretary Candidates – Judy Card & Julia Rholes Treasurer – Dee Horn & Amanda Powers ALA Counselor – Billy Beal & Sherry Laughlin SELA Counselor – Adrienne McPhaul & 1 per- son pending Each candidate has confirmed to have their name in nomination and they will take over in December 2007. This was voted on in addition to approving the pending name. It was a unanimous vote. ࡯ Reports – none We will meet again on February 6, 2006 at 2 p.m. ࡯ Jeff Slagell wanted to talk about Vicksburg and the upcoming conference there. He stated we have yet to sign a contract and he will meet with conference chairs as well after the new year. He also suggested we start thinking of a site for the 2008 conference. Randy Sherard suggested that before he goes to sign the contract that we meet to discuss the issues that arose in Tunica before the meeting with the representatives in Vicksburg to let them know exactly what we will need. Jeff agreed and also gave a big thanks to the MLC for all of their help. ࡯ Old business – none ࡯ New business – none The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a.m. ࡯ Have an article or theme issue idea for Mississippi Libraries? Contact us! E-mail story suggestions and comments to editor Elizabeth Stephan at estephan@ olemiss.edu
2007 Advertising Information Ad Sizes: Full Page...........................................................................................7 1/2"W x 10"H 1/2 Page Horizontal..........................................................................7 1/2"W x 5"H 2/3 Page Vertical ..............................................................................4 3/4"W x 10"H 1/3 Page Horizontal..........................................................................7 1/2"W x 3 1/3"H 1/3 Page Block ................................................................................5"W x 5 3/4"H 1/3 Page Vertical ..............................................................................2 3/8"W x 10"H 1/6 Page Horizontal..........................................................................5"W x 2 3/4"H 1/6 Page Vertical ..............................................................................2 3/8"W x 5"H Advertising Rates: SINGLE ISSUE RATES: CONTRACT RATES: (All 4 Issues) Full Page...............................................$175.00 .....................................$650.00 1/3 Page .............................................. 140.00 ..................................... 525.00 1/2 Page .............................................. 100.00 ..................................... 375.00 1/3 Page .............................................. 75.00 ..................................... 275.00 1/6 Page .............................................. 40.00 ..................................... 150.00 For more information about advertising in Mississippi Libraries, contact: Missy Murphey Mississippi Libraries, Advertising Editor J.D. Williams Library The University of Mississippi University, Mississippi 38677 662-915-6627 ulrmm@olemiss.edu Page 33 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries
MISSISSIPPI LIBRARY ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP FORM Membership Year January-December 2007 २ New Membership २ Renewal Name _______________________________________ Mailing address ________________________________ ____________________________________________ City_____________________ State ___ Zip_________ Position______________________________________ Library ______________________________________ Home Phone __________________________________ Business Phone ________________________________ Fax _________________________________________ E-mail _______________________________________ One of the primary forms of communication between MLA and its members is the MLA listserv. As a member of the MLA list- serv you will receive important announcements from MLA via email and be able to discuss library related issues with your peers. If you are not already a MLA listserv member, can we add your email address to the listserv? २ Sign me up! २ I decline A. MEMBERSHIP TYPES Membership (Any person currently working in a library or information center. Mark by salary range.) $0 to $9,999 $15 per year $________ $10,000 to $19,999 $25 per year $________ $20,000 to $29,999 $35 per year $________ $30,000 to $39,999 $45 per year $________ $40,000 to $49,999 $50 per year $________ $50,000 to $59,999 $55 per year $________ $60,000 or above $60 per year $________ Student (2 Year Limit) Full or Part-time $10 per year $________ Retired $15 per year $________ Trustee $15 per year $________ Friend of Library $15 per year $________ Institutional Membership $45 per year $________ Vendor $40 per year $________ Lifetime membership One-time Payment $1000 $________ Installment Plan (Payable in increments of a minimum of $200 each year until paid in full) $________ A. MEMBERSHIP TYPES SUBTOTAL $________ http://www.misslib.org/ 601.981.4586 • Fax 601.981.4501 B. SECTIONS Enter “FREE” for one section membership (Enter $6.00 for Additional Sections) Academic (ACRL) $_________ Public $_________ School $_________ Special $_________ Trustee $_________ B. SECTIONS SUBTOTAL $_________ C. ROUNDTABLES Join one or more roundtables for opportunities in professional growth $3.00 EACH. ANRT $_________ (Automation and Networking) BLACK CAUCUS $_________ ECTRT $_________ (Educational Communication and Tech) GODORT $_________ (Government Documents) LIRT $_________ (Library Instruction) NMRT $_________ (New Members) SCRT $_________ (Special Collections) TSRT $_________ (Technical Services) 2YCRT $_________ (2 Year College) YPSRT $_________ (Young People’s Services) C. ROUNDTABLES SUBTOTAL $_________ D. SCHOLARSHIPS Donation to Peggy May Scholarship $_________ Donation to Virgia Brock-Shedd Scholarship $_________ D. SCHOLARSHIP SUBTOTAL $_________ GRAND MLA TOTAL (DUES GRAND TOTAL (A+B+C) AND SCHOLARSHIP D) $_________ ___ Check enclosed (Make payable to Mississippi Library Association and mail to MLA, P.O. Box 13687, Jackson MS 39236-3687). All dues include subscription to Mississippi Libraries. ___ Please charge my MLA dues to my: २ VISA २ MasterCard Account Number _______________________________ Expiration Date_________________________________ Signature_____________________________________ Dues must be paid by March 1 in order to receive the Spring issue of Mississippi Libraries and for annual election of officers. MLA may at times supply its membership list to professional organizations or library vendors. २ Check the box if you do not want your name included. (Revised 12/06)
Mississippi Library Association P.O. Box 13687 Jackson, Mississippi 39236-3687 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U. S. POSTAGE P A I D PERMIT NO. 312 HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI

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ML2007Spring

  • 1. Volume 71, No. 1 Spring 2007
  • 2. Page 1 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries Can anyone working in Mis- sissippi libraries today even remember life before MAG- NOLIA? Yes, the MAGNO- LIA Project is now ten years old – and is being celebrat- ed across the state this year in a variety of special ways. The state legislature, which picks up the bulk of the tab for the MAGNOLIA Project, was given a piece of Magnolia Birthday Cake at this year’s MLA Legislative Reception on Febru- ary 6, 2007. I have been privileged to serve as a member of the Project’s Steering Commit- tee, representing public library interests, since the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) assembled us and commissioned the committee to “work together” and to figure out the logistics of “how to make a statewide electronic library possible.” Two librarians from each type of library – uni- versity, community college, public school (K-12) and public – were asked to serve. Although many of those pioneering librar- ians have either retired or moved on to jobs in other states, their contributions live on. In 1997, there were only a handful of states that had the kind of consortia we could “pattern” ourselves after – and the vendors which offered the products we were considering were often “caught” without established pricing guidelines. To say that the steering committee helped push, drive and even determine some of the database marketplace at that moment would not be an understatement. The original funding earmarked by the legislature to create MAGNOLIA came directly out of the IHL and community col- lege boards’ budgets. IHL became the pass-through agency for the payment of MAGNOLIA’s bills for a number of years. Eventually, the Mississippi Library Com- mission agreed to take on that responsibil- ity and has been processing the invoices for payment ever since – with the state leg- islature providing the funding for the pur- chase of the database access. The steering committee had to keep several things in mind as it began its work: 1. the consortium must work out a way to provide access to database info- mation for all publicly- funded institutions – as per the state legislature; 2. the consortium was to provide access to database information helpful to all types of publicly-funded libraries, including those sup- porting the K-12 institutions; 3. the legislature wanted all of the money it had earmarked for this purpose to be used to purchase access to information – i.e., not to hire a director, a staff, or to maintain an office. To that end, librarians from the various types of libraries were recruited to serve on the many working sub-committees that were formed. These scores of volunteer committee members came together in Jackson – often meeting each other com- ing and going along our state’s highways. Remember: these were the days before “virtual” meetings! Some of the more important questions these sub-committees were asked to solve included which vendors to select while staying within the amount of money we had been “given,” how to tame the tech- nological issues, how to train folks and how to get the word out. Ultimately, the problems were solved, the databases selected, and the MAGNOLIA Project was born in 1997 – offering information from databases from a variety of vendors for FREE! The MAGNOLIA Project has changed some over the past ten years, but its impact on the way in which we all provide library services within Mississippi has remained significant. For example, because of the MAGNOLIA Project, a young high school student in the Delta now has access to much of the same peri- odical information that is contained in the best college and university libraries any- where in the nation. ࡯ Mississippi Library Association PO Box 13687 Jackson, MS 39236-3687 Office Hours: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. M, Tu, Th, F E-mail: info@misslib.org Executive Secretary: Mary Julia Anderson MLA Web site: http://misslib.org Webmaster: Molly Signs McManus, signsmj@millsaps.edu Catherine A. Nathan President Title: Director Institution: First Regional Library E-mail: cnathan@first.lib.ms.us Phone: 662-429-4439 Jeff Slagell Vice President/President-elect Title: Director of Library Services Institution: Roberts-Laforge Library/DSU E-mail: jslagell@deltastate.edu Phone: 662-846-4441 Otha Keys Secretary Title: Media Specialist Institution: South Jones High School E-mail: orkeys@yahoo.com Phone: 601-477-9199 Carol D. Green Treasurer Title: Serials Librarian/Assoc. Prof. Institution: Univ. of Southern Miss. E-mail: carol.green@usm.edu Phone: 601-266-4476 Susan S. Cassagne Immediate Past President Title:Director Institution: Natchez Adams Wilkinson Lib. Serv. E-mail: scassagne@naw.lib.ms.us Phone: 601-445-8862 Robert Lipscomb ALA Councilor Title: Director Institution: Harrison County Lib. Sys. E-mail: r.lipscombl@harrison.lib.ms.us Phone: 228-868-1383 Mary Beth Applin SELA Councilor Title: Instructional Coordinator Institution: Cook Library - USM E-mail: mary.applin@usm.edu Phone: 601-266-4245 Mary Julia Anderson MLA Executive Secretary PO Box 13687 Jackson, MS 39236-3687 Phone: 601-981-4586 Fax: 601-981-4501 E-mail: info@misslib.org Molly McManus Parliamentarian Title: Pub. Serv. Coord. & Systems Librarian Institution: Millsaps-Wilson College Library E-mail: signsmj@millsaps.edu Phone: 601-974-1086 2007 Sections ACRL Section Chair: Margaret Jane Stauble mjstauble@hindscc.edu Public Libraries Chair: Marsha Case mcase@jhlibrary.com School Libraries Chair: Diane Willard dwillard@fcsd.k12.ms.us Special Libraries Chair: Tracy Carr tcarr@mlc.lib.ms.us Trustees Chair: Randy Sherard sherardjamesr@bellsouth.net For additional information and a list of committees and roundtables, see the Mississippi Library Association’s Web site at http://www.misslib.org/. PRESIDENT’S PAGE Catherine A. Nathan
  • 3. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 2 A Quarterly Publication of the ISSN 0194-388X Mississippi Library Association ©2007 EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR Elizabeth Stephan JD Williams Library The University of Mississippi University, MS 38677 estephan@olemiss.edu 662-915-6628 ASSISTANT EDITOR Lauren Young Rowland Medical Library The University of Mississippi Medical Center 2500 North State Street Jackson, MS 39216-4505 lmyoung@rowland.umsmed.edu COPY EDITOR Tisha Zelner The University of Southern Mississippi tisha.zelner@usm.edu BUSINESS MANAGER Tisha Zelner The University of Southern Mississippi tisha.zelner@usm.edu ADVERTISING EDITOR Missy Murphey The University of Mississippi ulrmm@olemiss.edu REPORTER Tina Harry The University of Mississippi tharry@olemiss.edu BOOK REVIEW EDITOR Christina Torbert The University of Mississippi ctorbert@olemiss.edu MLA PUBLICITY COMMITTEE CHAIR David Brown First Regional Library dbrown@yahoo.com INDEXER Shirlene Stogner The University of Southern Mississippi shirlene.stogner@usm.edu President’s Page ................................................................................................1 Tackling Technology..........................................................................................3 Elizabeth Stephan, Editor, Mississippi Libraries Library 101 Online & the Mississippi Delta: Reaching the Remote..............4 Paula Webb, Serials/Interlibrary Loan Librarian, Roberts-LaForge Library, Delta State University MSU Libraries’ Implementation of Federated Search Software.....................8 Marybeth F. Grimes, Associate Professor/Reference Librarian, Mississippi State University Libraries, Mississippi State University Using RSS to Push Electronic Resources to the Patron: Giving Power to the Patron.............................................................................11 Steven Turner, Associate Professor and Library Web Services Manager, The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries, The University of Southern Mississippi Renovating the Library Web Site: A Case Study ..........................................16 Debra A. Riley-Huff, Web Services/Reference Librarian, Assistant Professor, J.D. Williams Library, University of Mississippi Lamar County Library System’s Experience with Thin-Client Computing ...................................................................................20 Jeanne Crider, Director, Lamar County Library System; Jaketha Farmer, Training and Technology Specialist, Lamar County Library System MLA Officer Nominees.........................................................................................24 About Books........................................................................................................27 People in the News ..............................................................................................29 News Briefs .........................................................................................................30 MLA Executive Board Minutes ..............................................................................31 MLA Membership Form........................................................................................34 This month’s cover is one half of the diptych Highway 45 by Norma Sanders Bourdeaux. Bourdeaux received her Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. Her work was also featured on the Winter 2005 Mississippi Libraries. Bourdeaux has shown her paintings in various exhibits including the 2003 Mississippi Invitational in Jackson, Mississippi. Her work is in numerous collections, including the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis. She resides in Meridian, Mississippi. Bourdeaux can be reached at 601-482-2964 or 662-234-0022. Mississippi Libraries is a publication of the Mississippi Library Association (MLA). The articles, reports, and features here- in represent the viewpoints of their respective authors and are not necessarily the official opinions of the Association. Subscription Rates: $16.00 per year ($4.00 per issue); $24.00 per year outside of the U.S.; free to MLA members. Back issues are available from University Microfilms International. Advertising Rates: Rates are available upon request from the Advertising Editor. Advertising Deadlines: Spring: February 10; Summer: May 10; Fall: August 10; Winter: November 10 Submissions: Manuscripts must be submitted in electronic format in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or ASCII text format. Documents can be sent as an attachment via e-mail or on a CD-ROM or a 31 ⁄2 inch disk via surface mail. Deadlines for submission: Spring: February 2; Summer: May 2; Fall: August 2; Winter: November 2. In order to assure the widest possible audience for the work published in Mississippi Libraries, that work is added in elec- tronic form to the Mississippi Library Association Web site and, by contractual agreement, to one or more EBSCO Publishing databases. Mississippi Libraries is also indexed in Library Literature and Information Sciences Abstracts. Dues must be paid by March 1 in order to receive the Spring issue of Mississippi Libraries. Contents
  • 4. Page 3 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries Tackling Technology Elizabeth Stephan Editor, Mississippi Libraries Business Reference Librarian J. D. Williams Library The University of Mississippi Love it or hate it, technology is here to stay. It’s been “here” for a long time; it’s just been in different formats. As an under- grad I remember using the so-called “dummy terminals” in the library at North- west Missouri State University to search the catalog. It seemed like such an advanced system at the time; now it seems like ancient technology. When I started library school in 2001, we had MadCat, the university online cata- log. I graduated with my B.A. shortly before my university changed to an online catalog, so when I began to work at the ref- erence desk as a grad student, the only experience I had with an OPAC was the lit- tle bit of searching I had done at home (so that I wouldn’t look like an idiot the first time someone asked me a question). I picked it up pretty quickly, though: while I don’t always understand how different types of technology work, I can figure out how to use them fairly readily. See, I’m one of those people who know just enough to be dangerous. I’m a mad clicker. My theory has always been: “They build these things so the user can’t mess them up.” I’m not sure how true that is since I’ve messed up a few things in my lifetime. Despite that, I keep on clicking. Madly. This issue is dedicated to technology in today’s library. “Technology” and “library” go hand in hand these days, and we are covering several different areas and several different levels of expertise. (If you read some of these articles and wonder what all the coding means, don’t worry – it’s pret- ty much a foreign language to me, too.) In this issue we’ll look at technology and instruction, federated searching, RSS feeds, Web design, and thin-client comput- ing. It’s kind of a mixed bag, but technol- ogy has become synonymous with many aspects of librarianship, so an issue devot- ed to techie issues is bound to cover many topics. Distance learning and distance educa- tion seem to be growing trends at many universities; the distance learning program at the University of Mississippi continues to grow every year. Paula Webb noticed the same trend at Delta State University. Librarians at Delta State teach a successful Library 101 course, and Webb began to wonder how she could reach students that were strictly off campus. In her article, “Library 101 & the Mississippi Delta: Reaching the Remote,” Webb describes the process of developing and teaching an online version of Library 101. Metasearch engines are no longer the newest thing, but a couple of years ago libraries all over the country were experi- menting with federated searching. In fall 2004, Mississippi State University reviewed several metasearch engines, set- tling on ExLibris’ MetaLib. In her article, “MSU Libraries Implementation of Feder- ated Search Software,” Marybeth Grimes, reference librarian at MSU, outlines how their system was set up and what chal- lenges librarians faced with instruction and use. Grimes also provides an update of how MetaLib has been received, used, and changed since its implementation in fall 2005. RSS (rich site summary) feeds are becoming more commonplace on library Web sites – both on main sites and on sub- ject guides and similar pages that are updated frequently. How are RSS feeds being used by our own libraries? In his article, “Using RSS to Push Electronic Resources to the Patron: Giving Power to the Patron,” Steve Turner, Library Web Services Manager at the University of Southern Mississippi, explains how RSS feeds have been implemented at USM. Turner also gives examples of RSS code – from USM as well as other already-estab- lished feeds, like that of the New York Times. The University of Mississippi is in the middle of a major redesign of its Web site. Trying to redesign an entire library Web site without restricting access or downtime is difficult. In her article, “Renovating the Library Web Site: A Case Study,” Debra Riley-Huff, Web Services/Reference Librarian at the University of Mississippi, describes the project thus far. Phase I, which included the redesign of the home page, header, footer, and some secondary pages, was recently completed. Riley-Huff details the goals of the redesign as well as the timeline and process of the project. We’ve covered Web design, federated searching, RSS feeds, and online instruc- tion, and now we turn to networking. Five years ago, the Lamar County Library Sys- tem switched to thin-client computing. Jeanne Crider, director, and Jaketha Farmer, training and technology specialist at the Lamar County Library System, describe issues they have had with thin- client computing in their article “Lamar County Library System’s Experience with Thin-Client Computing.” Crider and Farmer discuss the issues they faced as well as the pros and cons involved with using thin-client computing versus person- al computers. MLA elections are around the corner. Information on all candidates can be found in this issue. The summer issue of Mississippi Libraries will be on collaboration. A cou- ple of years ago we had an issue devoted to collaboration between different types of libraries. In the summer issue we want to look at the collaboration of libraries with non-library organizations or institutions. If you have an idea for an article for the sum- mer issue, please contact me at estephan@olemiss.edu. The fall issue will be devoted to grant writing. Any tips? Sug- gestions? Let us know. ࡯
  • 5. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 4 Library 101 Online & the Mississippi Delta: Reaching the Remote Paula Webb Serials/Interlibrary Loan Librarian Roberts-LaForge Library Delta State University Abstract Natural barriers of rolling hills make the miles and miles of flatland appear as if the Mississippi Delta is another state entirely. Spotted with numerous towns and villages with populations as small as a few hun- dred people to over fifteen thousand, the Mississippi Delta does not boast large cities or metro areas. The Mississippi Delta and its people are in a land unto themselves. Technology and Internet access in homes are quickly changing the landscape. Library 101, along with other courses offered at Delta State University, are using technological advances to edu- cate those students who live in the remote areas of the Delta. Introduction A significant problem in the Mississippi Delta is that in an area two hundred miles long and seventy miles wide (Cobb), an area larger than the state of New Jersey, there are only three community colleges, one university that teaches up to a master’s degree level, and one that teaches up to a doctoral level. The community colleges located in the Mississippi Delta are Missis- sippi Delta Community College, Coa- homa Community College, and Northwest Mississippi Community College. The one university that offers courses up to master’s degree level is Mississippi Valley State Uni- versity and the one school that provides degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels is Delta State University. These institutions, while scattered through- out the Delta, can prove to be too far away from potential students’ homes to allow them to attain any form of college-level education. Technology has changed this scenario in recent years. According to Technology Use in the Mississippi Delta: A Summary Report from the 2003 Delta Rural Poll: Computers and the Internet can be valuable tools for rural fami- lies. Many rural residents must travel long distances to access necessary services, such as med- ical care, shopping, and educa- tion. Computers and Internet connections can provide rural families instant access to these and other services, as well as better communications with dis- tant family, friends and col- leagues. (Barton) Despite the lag behind urban and sub- urban homes with computers, there is an increase in homes in the Delta that have computers. Delta residents are seeking higher education and one of the best ways is by attending classes at Delta State Uni- versity online. Background of the Project In 2004, I noticed a drastic increase in students taking classes offered only online. While we have a very successful Library 101 course available to our students on campus, I realized we were not providing the same service to those students who were strictly off campus. I began to research what options were available to teach Library 101 in an online environment. In the fall of 2004, Delta State Univer- sity offered Winter Technology Institute Awards to train faculty to apply WebCT, an e-learning system for higher education institutions, in their instruction courses. I applied and received the award, with an intensive week of training in January 2005. During the training, Dr. Felix Rizvanov, the Director of the Technology Learning Center at Delta State University, and vari- ous other faculty experienced in the use of WebCT taught us how to use the instruc- tional software to create online courses. We learned about setting up and designing our individual classes. We were taught how to give assignments and have class- room discussions using the tools provided by WebCT. With the assistance of Dr. Rizvanov, the faculty assistants, and other award winners, I began the construction of the online Library 101 course. Since all participants in this session were faculty who instructed in the Mississippi Delta, I asked them what type of training the students would need and how Library 101 online could meet that need. The English and nursing faculty were especially interested and advised that I pro- vide good directions on how to access databases such as Academic Search Pre- mier, CINAHL, and other EBSCOhost databases. I took their advice and incorpo- rated this training into the class coursework. Overview of the Library 101 Online Course The concept of the Library 101 online instruction course took an entire year to research, develop, and apply. I met with members of the Delta State reference department, currently responsible for Library 101 instruction, numerous times. I sought from them advice on teaching methods, their patterns of instruction, and how best to communicate with the students. In addition, I researched online library instruction coursework offered at other uni- versities and publicly accessible through the Internet. Among the best Web sites I visited were the College of San Mateo Library’s Library Studies 101 Course, Seattle Central Community College’s Paula Webb designed an online instructional course, Library 101, to reach out to those unable to come to a classroom. Photo by Dianne Schattner.
  • 6. Introduction to Information Services, and Research Survival Online by Portland State University. I looked at these sites to get an idea of the best methods for teaching library instruction principles online. I then took the information I gathered from our reference librarians and the data I gathered from the research of online infor- mation literacy courses and molded it into one Library 101 online course. Course Collaboration I wanted the online instructional course I was creating to be of the same caliber as what the reference librarians were offering. Their teaching methods were meeting the library instruction needs of students from the Delta and I wanted to do the same. I did realize, however, that an online class could not be taught in the same way as a face-to-face class. If one of the refer- ence librarians wanted to teach their class about the Library of Congress Classifica- tion System, all they needed to do was show them the books on a shelf at the Roberts-LaForge Library. I had to develop a different way of accomplishing this goal. Developing a different instructional method was not my only concern. I had to decide the best method for one-on-one interaction with the students. I needed to develop assignments and quizzes to test their knowledge. I was concerned that the students would feel disconnected and not a part of the class. I wondered how I was going to communicate with them. Course Development I wanted the students to experience three distinct levels of library instruction. The first level was a general knowledge of how a library worked and was arranged. The second level was how the general knowledge of a library was applied to the Roberts-LaForge Library. Finally, the third level of library instruction existed in the weekly assignments. In these assignments, the students had to apply the knowledge they learned from the previous two levels. If I was instructing this class in a face-to- face learning environment, I would have used general knowledge about libraries as a part of the in-class discussion. What could I use in place of this sort of interaction? In researching other online Library 101 courses, I found that almost all of the coursework required either a textbook or extra reading of some sort. The College of San Mateo used The College Student’s Research Companion, 3rd Edition by Arlene Rodda Quaratiello, and Seattle Central Community College librarians went so far as to create their own textbook titled Research Methods and Strategies: A Textbook for Library 101 at SCCC. I looked at both of these textbooks and decided to use the publication by Quaratiello for my class as well. When evaluating the text, I thought it covered library instruction very well. I did not find it too wordy and felt the average college stu- dent could follow its principles. In addition to using the textbook to cover general topics, I also used each chapter to define one week of work. For example, chapter three of the textbook was titled “Reading the Map: Library Organiza- tion.” The chapter went over the basics of Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal classification systems. Week four of my online library instruction course, titled “Library Organization,” covered the same material. One chapter of work being equal to one week of work was acceptable for the most part. However, there were instances in which a week was not long enough to cover each chapter. In the case of chapter four’s section on reference resources, I used it to cover week five and six of my class instruction. In breaking down the material, plenty of time was given to go over the materials without the students becoming overwhelmed. The next level of library instruction was applying the general knowledge to the Roberts-LaForge Library specifically. I cre- ated PowerPoint presentations that took the general information the student read and applied it to how the library works at Delta State University. For example, chapter three talks about library organization, and I needed to find some way of explaining how to find a book using the Library of Congress Classification System. I worked to copy the process by using Microsoft PowerPoint and screen shots to do a step-by-step description of how to find a certain book in the catalog. I taught the students how to look at the call number to find its location at the Roberts-LaForge Library. Then, using a digital camera, I took photos of the call numbers on various books in the library, working my way toward the actual book. I finalized the search by taking a photo of the book at its shelf location. I pasted the screen shots and the photos in the proper order to give a virtual explication on how to find a book on the shelf using Library of Congress call numbers. The coursework finally attained the third level of instruction by having students complete weekly hands-on assignments. One of my assignments required students to find two books using the Library of Con- gress Classification System and two books using the Dewey Decimal Classification System. In this assignment, they had to submit the title of the books, the call num- ber of the books and tell me what type of call number it was. Using WebCT, I was able to see if any of the PowerPoint presentations I created were viewed by the students. By giving the weekly assignments, I was able to tell if they were learning any of the material I was teaching. In an effort to make sure they were also reading the textbook, I created two quizzes in WebCT that were based completely on the textbook and worth more points than the individual assign- ments. Communication One of the largest problems with class- es that are taught in an online-only envi- Page 5 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries
  • 7. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 6 OUR SERVICE IS UNSURPASSED Binding periodicals and rebinding We take pride that our workmanship, books in quality bindings is our materials and service are among business, and has been since 1912. the best in the industry. Less expensive Adhesive Type Bindings available upon request. 100 Hembree Park Drive P. O. Box 428 Roswell, GA 30077-9998 Telephone 770-442-5490 FAX 770-442-0183 An Equal Opportunity Employer National Library Bindery Co. of Ga., Inc. A CERTIFIED LIBRARY BINDERY ronment is that some feel they are not part of an actual class. In response to this, my goal for this course was to try to remove this barrier. I wanted the students to know they were a part of the entire class, know other people in the class, and not focus only on me. For this class, I tried something differ- ent. I asked my class to meet and discuss topics at Facebook. If they did not have a Facebook page already created, then I asked them to create one. I created my own Facebook page and used a picture of one of the library rows as my photo. In addition, I told them some of my likes and dislikes, giving them an idea of who I was. I created a Group page on Facebook titled “Library 101 at Delta State Universi- ty.” I asked all of my students to join this group page. As members of this group, they were able to see each other’s Face- book profile and get better acquainted with each other. With this format, I could send all my students the same discussion assignment. Also, they could post their findings and talk to each other at the group site. I originally had my doubts concerning the use of Facebook as a form of communica- tion, but I quickly discovered that the advantages greatly outweighed the disad- vantages. Not only was I able to get responses from many of my students more quickly than by e-mail, but I was also able to get to know them individually by their profiles on Facebook. In my opinion, using Facebook was the best route for group communication with a moderate number of students in an online course. In the case of one of my students, she was not allowed to use Facebook at work, but she was permitted to use instant mes- saging, another great communication tool. The student knew my office hours and was able to reach me whenever she had a prob- lem with the assignments or concepts I was teaching. Despite the great use of Web 2.0 tech- nology, a back up location is always need- ed to communicate. In our case, standard e-mail was the best system for sending files and assignments that didn’t load properly into WebCT the first time or for when an urgent reply was not needed. Lessons Learned My experience instructing Library 101 in a completely online environment was invaluable. You can create the class and theoretically guess how students will respond to the lessons, but it is an entirely different matter to see the actual results. It did not take me long to discover those stu- dents who were very organized and those who were not. I also had to remember that many of my students had various life responsibilities, resulting in the need to be flexible with deadlines. In regard to the syllabus and class expectations, I tried to be very detailed with directions for the work of each week. While you, as the instructor, may under- stand and present the material in one man- ner, the student will understand it from another perspective. I encountered this sit- uation when I was setting up the class for- mat. I didn’t want to grade all of the assign- ments during the last few days of the semester, so when I set up the release schedule for the assignments in WebCT, I only made them accessible one week at a time. I thought this was self-explanatory, but quickly discovered it was not.
  • 8. Page 7 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries In the syllabus, I implied that the assign- ments were available on a weekly basis, but I never actually put that down in writ- ing. This caused confusion among some of the students, resulting in their assign- ments being turned in late or not at all. They assumed they had until the end of the semester to complete their assignments, like other online courses they took. One of the greatest advantages to offer- ing Library 101 online was that my stu- dents could read the lesson, watch the PowerPoints, and do their homework any- where in the Delta. Students attended my class from all locations in Mississippi including Greenville, Shaw and Benoit. In one case, I had a student turning in work when they were visiting family as far away as Memphis, Tennessee. Conclusion I believe that my attempt to provide Library 101 services to those students who could not attend class on campus was successful. In fact, after viewing the advantages of an online version of this course, two of our reference librarians have agreed to create an online Library 101 course to be taught next year at Delta State University. Creating and instructing Library 101 online for students in the Mississippi Delta has taught me an important principle. Technology is a viable pathway for expand- ing library research skills and it is never too late to explore this route. ࡯ References Barton, Alan W. and Roshun Williams. Tech- nology Use in the Mississippi Delta: A Sum- mary Report from the 2003 Delta Rural Poll. Policy Paper No. 05-01, Center for Communi- ty and Economic Development. July 2005. Cobb, James C. The Most Southern Place on Earth: The Mississippi Delta and the Roots of Regional Identity. Oxford University Press. 1994. College of San Mateo Library’s Library Studies 101Course. http://smccd.net/accounts/ gibbsd/101syllabus.htm. Accessed December 5, 2006. Librarians of Seattle Central Community Col- lege Library. Research Methods and Strate- gies: A Textbook for Library 101 at SCCC. http://dept.sccd.ctc.edu/cclib/Instruction/ textbook.pdf. Accessed December 5, 2006. Quaratiello, Arlene. The College Student’s Research Companion, 3rd ed. Neal-Schuman: New York. 2003. Seattle Central Community College’s Introduc- tion to Information Services. http://www.seattle central.org/faculty/kmicha/lib101/index.htm. Accessed December 5, 2006. Research Survival Online by Portland State University http://www.lib.pdx.edu/instruc tion/survivalguide/index.htm. Accessed Decem- ber 5, 2006.
  • 9. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 8 MSU Libraries’ Implementation of Federated Search Software Marybeth F. Grimes Associate Professor/Reference Librarian Mississippi State University Libraries Mississippi State University Abstract Mississippi State University (MSU) Libraries wanted to provide its patrons with a way to simultaneously search mul- tiple databases using one uniform inter- face; therefore, in the fall 2004 semester, librarians reviewed several federated search programs. The administration decided to purchase Ex Libris’ MetaLib® and asked the head of systems administra- tion and several librarians to form a task force to oversee this new metasearch engine. Overview of MetaLib MetaLib, Version 3, allows patrons to find journal and magazine articles, books, e-journals, and other material by searching any of five different modules. Each module may be customized by the institutions that license the software. While each module allows users to search multiple databases at once, two modules require librarians to organize products into categories, thus giv- ing students and faculty the ability to search specific topics easily. QuickSearch is targeted for novice users; librarians have the option of creating several categories, and identifying databases to go within each category, to help patrons new to electronic searching with their information needs. For example, one category may be called, “Find information for Speech Class!” with Academic Search Premier and the online catalog as the databases to search. With MetaSearch, not only can librarians identi- fy categories, they can also create subcate- gories within as many categories as they need. MetaSearch allows advanced searchers to see easily what databases an institution has under a certain topic, or cat- egory, and what databases are useful for subtopics, or subcategories. For example, librarians can create a category called Lib- eral Arts and have many databases listed under that heading, and have a subcatego- ry of Literature with two to five databases related to that subject listed. Patrons have the ability to select and search databases from the list under the main category, pick a subcategory, or pick both a subcategory and databases from within the category to search. “Find Databases” allows patrons to find their favorite database and search its Flowchart outlining MetaSearch categories.
  • 10. Page 9 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries native interface, and patrons can find elec- tronic journals through “E-Journals.” Users who want to pick and choose their own databases to search can manage their own personal data with “My Space.” MSU Libraries assigned different com- mittees to work with two of MetaLib’s mod- ules, “QuickSearch” and “MetaSearch.” The associate dean of public services and other members of public services met to discuss how to organize “Quick Search” to meet our patrons’ needs. The task force asked the Reference Electronic Evaluation Committee (REEC) to develop the “MetaSearch” module to serve the univer- sity community. This paper explains the process the committee underwent to create the categories and subcategories needed for this metasearch process. History of REEC The head of the reference department created REEC about ten years ago to eval- uate the newest form of reference tools, electronic indexes and abstracts. Since, for the most part, these products directly replaced print indexes and abstracts, it made sense for all members of the refer- ence department to belong to this commit- tee. REEC established and followed poli- cies and procedures to evaluate these products and made formal recommenda- tions to the library administration. Over the years, electronic versions of more than just indexes and abstracts have become avail- able; journals, reference books, govern- ment materials, and Web sites all needed to be tested and reviewed. Three years ago, REEC expanded its membership and its scope. Current membership includes all of the reference librarians and staff, librari- ans from government documents and library instruction, the head of serials, and the head of systems administration. The scope of REEC has become ambiguous. Some products, such as reference books in electronic form (i.e., Mental Measure- ment Yearbook), and those with library wide impact, such as electronic books (i.e., NetLibrary) are discussed by other groups. REEC tests and evaluates electron- ic products, makes recommendations to the library administration, approves which free resources, generally Web sites, should be added to the list of indexes and data- bases, and keeps up-to-date with new software and upgraded versions of exist- ing products. MetaSearch Categories and Subcategories In May 2005, the MetaLib task force charged REEC to identify the “MetaSearch” categories and to identify the databases/resources that should be included in each category within the mod- ule. The committee first had to understand how the “MetaSearch” process would work. Since the new software was not yet operational on site, the committee looked at several other university libraries that use this software to see how they organize their materials. Members had many questions, including the following: software compati- bility amongst the different products, which patrons the libraries anticipated using this search feature, and how to organize a huge number of databases (over 150) into a small number of cate- gories (less than 20). REEC’s first step was to agree on which patrons would be likely to use the “MetaSearch” function. The members believed that lower level college students (i.e., freshmen and sophomores) would use “QuickSearch.” Upper level under- graduates, graduate students, and faculty would more likely use “MetaSearch,” since it allows users to search multiple databases at once. Next, the committee focused on creating the categories within the module. Since it would be very difficult to change them at a later date, REEC needed to agree on the purpose and the name of each category. Members looked at the existing list of indexes and databases and agreed to use many current subject headings as future categories. The com- mittee wanted the groupings to reflect both the academic programs offered at MSU and the libraries’ collections. Therefore, they initially came up with fifteen cate- gories: General Reference, Catalogs, Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, Educa- tion, Law, Government Documents, Busi- ness, Sciences, Engineering, Health Sci- ences, Agriculture, Life Sciences, Archi- tecture, and Veterinary Medicine. MetaLib allows institutions to provide subcategories for each category. REEC had a hard time thinking of potential sub- categories without knowing which databas- es would go into each category. As chair of REEC, I asked everyone to put all the elec- tronic products (150+!) into whichever category or categories they thought each one belonged; I then compiled all the lists into a spreadsheet so the committee could see each other person’s placements. Some products fit neatly into one category, many belonged in several places, a few seemed to go into every category, and a few were hard to place into any grouping. It became obvious that everyone thought certain databases transcended sub- ject areas and needed to be in every cate- gory, so the committee created a subcate- gory, General, for every category except General Reference and Catalogs. Databas- es for this subcategory include: Academic Search Premier, Dissertation Abstracts, LexisNexis Academic, WorldCat, Newspa- per Source, Web of Science, Galaxy (the online catalog), ArticleFirst, and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Since REEC put all of these databases into “Gen- eral Reference,” and since it is not applica- ble to “Catalogs,” there was no need for the General subcategory in these two modules. Using the master list, members spent several days eliminating and adding resources to each category, and created subcategories for those groups that needed them. REEC recognized that the first cate- gory, General Reference, meant nothing to the majority of users, but needed to place several disparate databases together and call it something, and came up with that name. The committee also came up with
  • 11. four subcategories: Reference, Biogra- phies, Papers, and News; the resources, generally speaking, fell neatly into one of those areas. Members created Catalogs to allow patrons to search multiple online catalogs; the next category, Arts and Humanities, proved more problematic. Since this mod- ule involved several different subject areas, REEC agreed that it needed seven subcat- egories: General, Literature, History, Fine Arts, Religion/Philosophy, Music, and Interdisciplinary. This way, a patron could find, for example, all the history databases easily without having to go through a list of twenty-six titles. The next category, Social Sciences, proved to be the most difficult challenge. The committee spent a lot of time dis- cussing the name, the subject areas, and the databases belonging to this category. REEC came up with ten subcategories to reflect the thirty-six resources: General, Psychology, Interdisciplinary, Communi- cation, Library Science, Sociology/ Anthropology/Social Work, Economics, Political Science, History, and Geography. The members had few problems with the next four categories: Education, Law, Gov- ernment Documents, and Business. Only Government Documents, with Federal, State, and International, has more than just the General subcategory attached to it. Committee members could not agree on how patrons would use the Science cat- egory. Some though it should be a clear- inghouse for all the science related data- bases, while others thought it should have the large, popular science/agriculture/ engineering databases in it. In the end, the committee agreed this category would help those patrons in physics, chemistry, mathematics, geosciences, and other relat- ed fields. The thirteen databases in Sci- ences reflect this thought. Almost everyone listed the same data- bases for the Engineering category; only one or two needed to be added to com- plete the list of seventeen titles. Some resources for the Health Sciences category appeared to go in other groupings, but eventually everyone agreed to the list of forty-one electronic products. After seeing that the next two cate- gories, Agriculture and Life Sciences, shared all but three databases, it became obvious to combine them into one catego- ry, ‘Agriculture and Life Sciences,’ with the largest number of resources, fifty-two attached to it. The last two categories, Architecture and Veterinary Medicine, are designed to help faculty and students in those two schools. Ultimately, the committee created four- teen categories, with four having more than one subcategory. Nine have only one, General, because members could not see the need for more. Only one, Catalogs, has no subcategories. While not everyone agreed where every database should go (or should not go), the committee always tried to anticipate the needs of the libraries’ users. After much discussion, and debate, REEC created an excellent way for advanced users to find multiple related databases they may or may not have thought of on their own, and to search them in one easy step. As the final step before sending a report to the task force, I shared this list of categories, subcate- gories, and databases with the library facul- ty and asked for their suggestions, ques- tions, and/or concerns. I received several thoughtful and helpful comments and the committee implemented many into the list. The libraries’ implemented MetaLib, with all its search features, before the fall 2005 semester started. Librarians and staff at MSU Libraries’ anticipated the huge impact MetaLib would have on its users. Many depart- ments, including reference, library instruc- tion, and the branch libraries, experienced a change in how they help patrons find information. Every librarian had to discuss this new search engine with their assigned departments. Faculty and students had many opportunities to express their opin- ions on how the categories and databases were arranged. Update MetaLib has been available for our patrons for two years, and we’ve noticed several things about its use. One is that the undergraduates like the QuickSearch function. They have twelve categories to choose from, including Business, Biogra- phy, Education, Humanities/History, Term Paper Due, Current Events, Engi- neering, Science, Literature and More, Agriculture, Health/Medicine, and Social Sciences. Each category has one to six pre-selected databases in it; the students bullet whichever category they want, put in their search words, and enter. They don’t know, or seem to care, which data- bases they are searching; they’re just interested in the results. The second thing is that a few of our databases are not com- patible with the federated software. This has proved challenging to us to remem- ber when teaching classes and helping patrons. Finally, it may be that our faculty are not utilizing the categories and MySpace as effectively as possible. This spring, the REEC will evaluate MetaLib by looking at the usage statistics and sharing anecdotal information. It may be that we find some categories and subcat- egories are working better than others. ࡯ Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 10 Members of REEC: Newkirk Barnes, Bradley Brazzeal, Jessica Buehring, Maria Collins, Ida Cunetto, Stephen Cunetto, Karen Davidson, Christine Fletcher, Cindy Harris, Marybeth Grimes (chair), Deborah Lee, and Gail Peyton. Harry Llull made signifi- cant contributions to this project as well. The author would like to thank Paul Grimes for his editorial assistance.
  • 12. Page 11 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries Using RSS to Push Electronic Resources to the Patron: Giving Power to the Patron Steven Turner Associate Professor and Library Web Services Manager The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries The University of Southern Mississippi Abstract Steven Turner, Library Web Services Man- ager at the University of Southern Missis- sippi, explains RSS technology, its library applications, and details the process of implementing RSS feeds at USM Libraries. Turner includes online resources that proved helpful in this process. This is a useful article for those wanting to understand this technology and those wanting to offer the technology to patrons. About RSS Much has already been written about RSS, an XML language subset (or dialect) originally created by Netscape in the mid- nineties for the Netscape Browser’s Chan- nels environment (Celikbas 2004). Many libraries have taken advantage of this XML dialect to further their institution’s reach, to provide more effective resource discovery and presentation to patrons, and to gener- ally make their own lives easier as they attempt to discover, dissect and present salient information to their patrons. The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries is no different than any other library in our attempts to fulfill the afore- mentioned goals. This article will explain how we explored the advantages of RSS use as part of our attempt to meet those goals, and of our subsequent implementa- tion of RSS with our e-resources and library news items. The questions that beg asking, and that have already been extensively explored in numerous books and articles, are what is RSS and why is it important to my library? At its most basic, RSS (an acronym for ‘RDF or Rich Site Summary’) is essential- ly a specialized markup language – a sim- plified version (subset, child or dialect) of XML that provides a simple list of tags to describe content from a Web site. This RSS-tagged content is usually called a ‘feed,’ as in ‘RSS feed’ or ‘XML feed.’ Content published or distributed by a Web site is often referred to as being ‘syndicat- ed’ since “information is being shared with other sites at the same time” (Celikbas 2004). The type of content presented as an RSS feed is often transient or active in nature and generated from a dynamic source such as a database, e.g., newspa- per articles, news items, news headlines, new items in a library catalog, and databas- es. For example, if you were using RSS to serve news articles, then the RSS tags would mark up, delineate and identify spe- cific sections of the feed such as the article title, the article content or an associated image. Tags can contain data elements fur- ther describing or more accurately describ- ing the surrounded content (see Fig. 1). [Fig.1] New York Times feed example <rss version=”2.0”> <channel> <title>NYT &gt; Art and Design</title> <link>http://www.nytimes.com/pag es/arts/design/index.html?part- ner=rssnyt</link> <description/> <language>en-us</language> <copyright>Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company</copy- right> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 4 Jan 2007 12:05:00 EST</lastBuildDate> <image> <title>NYT &gt; Art and Design </title> <url>http://graphics.nytimes.com /images/section/NytSection Head- er.gif</url> <link>http://www.nytimes.com/page s/arts/design/index.html</link> </image> <item> <title>In China’s New Revolu- tion, Art Greets Capitalism</title> <link>http://www.nytimes.com/200 7/01/04/arts/design/04arti.html? ex=1325566800&amp;en=ba1a6b8418c 78d5a&amp;ei=5088&amp;partner=rs snyt&amp;emc=rss</link> <description>Auction frenzy is gripping the art world and in response hundreds of new sellers in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai are putting contempo- rary experimental artworks on the block.</description> <author>DAVID BARBOZA</author> <guidisPermaLink=”false”>http://w ww.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/arts/d esign/04arti.html</guid> <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jan 2007 12:01:17 EDT</pubDate> </item> </channel> </rss> The marked-up RSS feed can then be read by either RSS-capable browsers (such as the Mozilla Foundation’s Firefox, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7 or Apple’s Safari browser) (see Fig. 2), or aggregated by a newsreader or feed readers, which are software programs built specifically to col- lect, organize and read RSS feeds. Feed readers can be desktop-based or Web- based; online blogging tools and sites (blogger.com, for example, or MySpace) often offer integration of a feed reader component into a user’s blog which osten- sibly allows the blogger to incorporate RSS feeds from other Web sites directly into their blog pages. Just to muddy the waters a little, there happen to be several competing standards
  • 13. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 12 of RSS – RSS 1.0, which offers more metadata tags, RSS 2.0, which offers the developer more leeway and flexibility (and is the semi-standard across the Web) and Atom, an extension of RSS 2.0 that offers the developer a more accurate program- ming model with a more flexible output (Yue and Greene 2006). Why Use RSS? A primary factor in RSS popularity is the fact that it is such a simple specifica- tion. The tags are easy for even non-XML programmers to parrot or understand; cre- ation and implementation requires only a good grasp of how to pull your information from a database or other data source and present this content as RSS marked-up text – either to what programmers call the stan- dard output or written to a text file. The other key is the willingness and recogni- tion by various entities on the Web to understand the power inherent in such an easy-to-read, easy-to-use and standardized description language. Programmers sim- ply create an RSS feed using various meth- ods, and locate this feed somewhere on their Web site. At that point, the reading software simply needs to collect that URL, parse the results of the requested page, and then present it to the user in some fash- ion. Consequently, information such as news headlines or link lists can be stored in the inter- face of a browser (as in Firefox’s Live bookmarks) or a newsreader and accessed directly without ever visit- ing the Web site that created this content. How Other Libraries Are Using RSS We (USM Libraries) definitely had our ideas about what we wanted to do with RSS – present news and information and syndicate our e- resources. But, were we missing some- thing? What were other libraries doing with RSS in these specific areas? How were they doing it, and were there other ideas that we hadn’t thought of that might also be useful to implement? A review of the current literature discussing RSS revealed some interesting ideas and implementa- tions. First, the idea of pushing a library‘s news and events was common and straightforward; it seems that (almost with- out exception) libraries who use push RSS feeds include at least one news feed. Com- mon examples include the University of Nevada Reno Libraries (Yue and Greene 2006) and Hennepin County Library in Minnesota (Library Technology Reports 2006). Some libraries use blogs to dis- seminate news while others use more typi- cal news-type formats or newsletter tables of contents (TOCs). A complete list of examples from the literature is shown below: ࡯ Offer “live hyperlinks to online resources” (Celikbas 2004) ࡯ Present news and announcement items as a syndicated feed (Celikbas 2004) ࡯ Offer lists of newly added items from the library catalog (Corrado and Moulaison 2006) ࡯ Present reader’s advisory recommenda- tions (Stephens 2006) ࡯ Broadcast podcasts (Huffman 2006) ࡯ Serve images (Yue and Greene 2006) ࡯ Create video media lists from the library catalog (Yue and Greene 2006) ࡯ Provide current awareness or TOCs direct from publisher Web sites (Celik- bas 2004) ࡯ Provide current awareness of subject materials from the catalog (Corrado and Moulaison 2006) ࡯ Build self-updating subject resource pages from the RSS feeds of other library, e-resource, internet sources and other blogs or RSS feed aggregation sites (Huffman 2006) ࡯ Push library blog content (Yue and Greene 2006) Most importantly, RSS gives the advan- tage to the patron. As mentioned before, library content can be “subscribed to and displayed everywhere, and users are no longer forced to remember to come to our site.” As a result, patrons are not forced to use our “proprietary interfaces” to discover and view content. Instead, resources are pushed to them and can be navigated and viewed in a single, consistent interface (Library Technology Reports 2006). RSS at The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries During the fall semester 2006, USM Libraries decided it wanted to push selected content to our users via RSS. We primarily wanted to push our electronic resources, but we were also keen to provide news, alerts and announcements via RSS feeds. RSS Feeds: The Easy Way Fortunately, the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries had just migrated its Web site to MODx, an open-source con- tent management system (CMS) which allowed any grouping of pages within the Web site hierarchy to be syndicated as an RSS feed. Our news, events and alerts sec- An RSS feed using Apple’s Safari browser.
  • 14. Page 13 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries tions were logically organized as groups of folders within folders. Since each event announcement took the form of a page within each section folder, this hierarchical grouping allowed us to easily create RSS feeds from the pages contained within each section. Currently, USM Libraries have five current news and patron aware- ness areas available on the Web site: 1. Current Library News 2. What’s New in Library Collections 3. Known Problems – Electronic Services 4. Exhibits and Events 5. Library Newsletters and Guides The MODx CMS software allowed us to create an RSS feed from the contents of these five sections via a MODx RSS snip- pet (a small program that performs a spe- cific function and then communicates the result with MODx using the MODx appli- cation programming interface). The snip- pet we used (NewsFeed) to create RSS feeds automatically lists the pages con- tained in a designated directory. The result- ing feed’s URL is then accessed by your chosen news- or feed reader as mentioned previously. And while we used it to simply create an RSS 2.0 valid feed, the News- Feed snippet can also be customized in a variety of ways, such as setting copyright information, generating a link to the feed (rather than generating the feed itself), or truncating summary posts (among other options). RSS Feeds: The Hard Way However, our primary goal still remained – pushing our databases and e-resources to our patrons. Southern Mississippi Libraries stores their e-resource URLs, proxy infor- mation and e-resource metadata within a MySQL database; MODx provided no easy solution by which to retrieve this data so that it could be accessed by the NewsFeed snip- pet. So, as my major professor would say in library school, it was time to “roll our own” solution. The first thing we did was decide our application parameters. We wanted to use RSS 2.0 as this was the de facto standard for most RSS feeds, and therefore the most accessible and usable for our patrons (Yue and Greene 2006). We would use the PHP Web programming language on which the library Web services had stan- dardized to pull the data from the MySQL database. At this point I would write the program to wrap the data in the appropri- ate RSS tags and push it to the standard output. The alternative consisted of having the program create a text file of the pushed RSS data. While viable and present in the literature, this method seemed cumber- some and required the extra step of creat- ing the RSS-containing text file via a timed server operation every few hours or so, and was more suitable to an environment where one had less control of the data out- put (Corrrado and Moulaison 2006 ). Second, I had to research RSS 2.0, and find some valid examples of feeds. At its most basic level, an RSS feed is fairly easy to understand and parrot and can be creat- ed without a good understanding of all the specifics or background surrounding the specification. However, when you want the code to validate as a valid XML document, a decent grasp of the RSS specification and XML options available helps tremen- dously. Much of my research kept pointing me towards one Web site – feed validator.org, a non-profit Web site created by IBM pro- grammer Sam Ruby that includes annotat- ed specification of all RSS versions along with a Web-based validation program. The validation program will take your feed, parse it, and either output a successful result or output specific problems with your script along with line numbers. Most good RSS feeds look the same, so I used a readily available feed from the New York Times as an example. Well-writ- ten, valid and simple, it provided me with enough of a framework to complete ninety percent of my work without performing any heavy lifting (that is, writing my own code) via a simplistic copying of their for- mat. Unfortunately, when I started pulling data from the database and it failed to ren- der as an RSS feed, I knew I needed more help. A few minutes of troubleshooting with Feed Validator indicated problems with the data in the title tag and in the URL tag. A little more Web research indicated that I might have odd characters in the data fields, and various interest group blog postings indicated that inclusion of an SGML CDATA token in the tags would tell the browsers and feed readers what to USM uses the snippet NewsFeed to create RSS feeds that automatically list the pages contained in a designat- ed directory.
  • 15. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 14 expect and how to treat these characters. A quick trip over to the W3C Web site’s HTML 4 section offered an explanation and description of the CDATA tag. The W3C defines CDATA thusly: CDATA is a sequence of charac- ters from the document character set and may include character entities. User agents should inter- pret attribute values as follows: ࡯ Replace character entities with characters, ࡯ Ignore line feeds, ࡯ Replace each carriage return or tab with a single space. User agents may ignore leading and trailing white space in CDATA attribute values (e.g., “ myval ” may be interpreted as “myval”). Authors should not declare attribute values with lead- ing or trailing white space. The addition of the CDATA token to the title and URL tag solved the invalid feed error for those tags. However, the Feed Validator application still wouldn’t validate my feed, and now indicated an issue with the description tag; based on the amount of text and non-standard ASCII entities within this datafield, I decided to simply escape the entire field by using the PHP functions of trim() and escapehtmlenti- ties(). This last addition to the script solved the problems, and the feed finally validated. The completed script looks like this (with numbered annotations): <? //include connection function [1] include_once(“/avatar/httpd/html /includes/db_connection2.php”); db_connect(“library”); [2] $sql = “select * from library. odbs_new where shown = ‘y’ order by name”; [3] $results =mysql_query($sql) or die (mysql_error()); [4] $date = date(“D, j F Y G:i:s A T”); [5] echo “<?xml version=”1.0” encoding=”iso-8859-1”?> <rss version=”2.0”>n”; echo “ <channel> <title>Library Databases</title> <link>http://www.lib.usm.edu/ind ex.php?id=41</link> <description>University Library Databases</description> <language>en-us</language> <pubDate>[$date]</pubDate> n”; [6] while ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($results)) { echo “ tt<item> ttt<title><![CDATA[{$r ow[name]}]]></title> ttt<link><![CDATA[{$ro w[url]}]]></link> ttt<description>”. htmlentities(trim($row[de scription])) . “ </description> tt</item>n”; } echo “ [7] </channel> </rss>”; ?> GN Associates, Inc.Library Furniture and Shelving Rebuilding our communities one volume at a time Insurance quotes available Budget Projections Space Planning CAD Renderings SACS Information MS State Contract Purchasing Dunedin Public Library Wagner Branch Library GN Associates, Inc. 1349 Lakeshore Drive Metairie, LA 70005 glenn@glennnorton.com 1-888-828-0850
  • 16. 1. Include a pre-written library for con- necting to our MySQL databases. 2. Write the very simple SQL query. 3. The results are pulled from the data- base. 4. The publication date is formatted and placed in a variable. 5. The XML version is indicated, lan- guage encoding is indicated, RSS ver- sion indicated. The basic RSS contain- er for the database data is created. 6. A simple loop is created to iterate through the results set, and print all of the databases to the screen. 7. The file is ended with the appropriate tags. As you can see, the finished script is short and simple. Provided that the base data is easy to obtain in a manipulatable form, then the custom creation of an RSS feed is really very simple. Far more time was spent during this process researching the specifics of RSS 2.0 and learning its idiosyncrasies than was spent actually obtaining the data and writing the script. In fact, the title of this article section is a mis- nomer – creating this feed was not difficult, just more time-consuming than creating pages and clicking GUI interface buttons as was performed for the other feeds with- in the MODx CMS framework. However, all was not complete; there was one more item of business – browser auto-discovery of the RSS feeds. A link tag is needed in head of the document to indi- cate to patron browsers that an RSS feed(s) exists; this tag, which indicates a link to the URL location of each feed, also creates the RSS icon in the URL bar. The RSS icon, which differs according to browser type, functions in two ways. First, it visually noti- fies the user that RSS feeds are available for the taking on pages being viewed; sec- ond, the RSS indicator becomes an inter- face element – the user clicks and holds on the icon to reveal a drop-down menu of available feeds. Link Tag: <link rel=”alternate” type=”applica- tion/rss+xml” title=”Library Databases” href=”http://www.lib.usm.edu/scripts/d b_rss_feed.php” /> Results And Future Use The introduction of RSS at Southern Miss Libraries can be, I believe, character- ized as successful insomuch that: (a) their usage can be caveated by realizing that a relatively small number of the Web surfing population actually uses RSS in their daily surfing lives; (b) a cursory investigation of the Web site statistics shows steady usage of the RSS feed URLs; (c) anecdotal patron reporting indicates usefulness among fac- ulty and students. One thing is clear – RSS use will only increase as it becomes more common- place and users lose their unfamiliarity with the technology and the tools used to har- ness it, especially in light of the many browsers that now support RSS discovery. As for Cook Library, we intend to expand our RSS offerings to include a complete RS directory/Linked TOC to our Help and Library FAQ documentation, to develop RSS feeds from the library catalog, and to eventually build subject resource pages almost entirely out of RSS feeds. The latter is the most exciting, because we’ll be able to offer comprehensive patron tools that will auto-create by completely and pro- grammatically supporting themselves from RSS feeds, requiring almost no interven- tion by a subject specialist. The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries looks for- ward to a long and useful relationship with RSS. In an era where academic libraries often struggle with the perception of rele- vancy and subsequent usage, any tool that can provide the patron with more flexibility for discovering and utilizing our resources is a welcomed addition indeed. ࡯ Page 15 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries Results in drop down from RSS icon: RSS feed result in browser: References Celikbas, Zeki. What is RSS and How Can it Serve Libraries? In Proceedings First Interna- tional Conference on Innovations for the Future: e-Learning, edited by Mesut Yalvac and Sevin Gulsecen, 277-92. Istanbul, Turkey, 2004. Corrado, Edward M. and Heather L. Moulai- son.Integrating RSS Feeds of New Books into the Campus Course Management Sys- tem. Computers in Libraries. 26 no. 9 (2006): 6-9, 61-4. Huffman, Karen. Web 2.0: Beyond the Con- cept: Practical Ways to Implement RSS, Pod- casts, and Wikis. Education Libraries. 29 no. 1 (Summer 2006): 12-19. Ruby. Interwingly.net. RSS20andAtom20 Compared. http://www.intertwingly.net/wiki/ pie/Rss20AndAtom10Compared. Ruby, Sam.. RSS20andAtom10 Compared. Feedvalidator.org. http:www.feedvalidator.org. Stephens, Michael. Chapter 3 - RSS. Library Technology Reports. July-August 2006. Yue, Paoshan and Araby Greene. Do You See RSS in Your Future? The Serials Librarian. 50 no. 3/4 (2006): 305-10.
  • 17. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 16 Renovating the Library Web Site: A Case Study Debra A. Riley-Huff Web Services/Reference Librarian Assistant Professor J.D. Williams Library University of Mississippi Abstract: The University of Mississippi Libraries Web site is undergoing a major refurbish- ing project. Site assessment leads to pro- posed major changes to the library Web site in the areas of infrastructure, design, accessibility, usability, and content upgrades in four phases. Riley-Huff dis- cusses the motivation and goals for the overall project and details the processes involved in the now-complete Phase I, which involved integrating major upgrades to the current library “bridge” page, homepage and secondary level headers and footers. Introduction In the summer of 2006, librarians at the University of Mississippi made a deci- sion to start a major library Web site refur- bishing project. This decision was based upon several converging factors related to library users, library staff concerns, the campus Web environment and the tech- nology needs of the Libraries’ electronic infrastructure. While the changes would be significant, there would be little or no toler- ance for Web site “down time.” The Uni- versity of Mississippi operates on the semester system with both winter and sum- mer intersession schedules. A plan was needed that would provide for a minimum of inconvenience to the campus community. The initial concern was the recognition that in order to accommodate future growth in Web and electronic services, the site needed to be upgraded to current Web standards. The underlying technical struc- tural changes would be significant enough to allow the incorporation of full scale site design and navigational changes. This conveniently coincided with a campus- wide push by the University administration to move towards a unified Web presence. New ideas regarding content, content pres- entation and user services have also been catalysts. The resulting project, currently well underway, is in the process of bringing the library Web site up to current Web stan- dards by utilizing a phased focus process to address structural standards as well as design, usability, accessibility and content considerations. Web site Assessment and Relevant Vision Before embarking on any type of large scale Web site redesign or upgrade, it is necessary to completely understand your current site’s strengths and weaknesses as well as how the Web site is accessed and navigated by your users. It is also neces- sary to have a clear picture and under- standing of current Web standards and design principles. This is essentially the prerequisite for getting your organization from point A to point B and on to points C, D, E ... ad infinitum; ad infinitum because, unlike static information sources, Web sites are constantly evolving entities which, due to the concept of hyperlinks, do not exist in isolation to themselves or even of them- selves. Rapidly changing technologies have already seriously impacted the way in which large Web sites can and should be maintained. While static HTML pages ini- tially sufficed, Web sites which still rely heavily on them are at a serious disadvan- tage in terms of site maintenance and growth opportunities (Dahl 2005). Libraries, as vital information organiza- tions, should show evidence of continual growth and change and this should cer- tainly be reflected in the library Web site. The first step in Web site assessment is to take a look at the site’s current architec- tural elements with a goal of shifting from static format to dynamic formats. This can best be accomplished by maintaining an organizational commitment to adhering to current Web standards. Understanding and keeping current with Web standards can be a daunting task, but it has been made much simpler by the leadership provided by the W3C. The W3C, or World Wide Web consortium, “develops interoperable technologies, specifications, guidelines, software and tools to lead the Web to its full potential” (W3C 2007). By modeling your Web site’s infrastructure to the rec- ommendations of the WC3, your organi- zation will be able to quickly respond to Web changes and utilize new technologies as they become available. Our initial assessment of the University of Mississippi’s library Web site revealed several areas which would need improve- ment, along with components that made the site very useful. Basically the weakness in the site lay in the significant use of stat- ic HTML and its accompanying overuse of font tags and table-based layout. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) was in minimal use and most often found in the difficult to maintain “embedded styles format.” While this type of Web site architecture was fine in its day, the reality is that for most sites it has grown into a maintenance headache that ultimately shows up poorly on the user’s screen, as well. The Web site also had some strong areas that gave us a good foundation to start with. The directory structure on the server was in very good order and the way SSI (Server Side Includes) had been incorporated into the headers and footers made the site switchover possible without inconvenienc- ing our users. In terms of design and usability, while most of the homepage and navigation was somewhat dated, the site did have some key design features that had generated a fair amount of library branding and recognition. We also noted accessibil- ity problems primarily related to images used as header fonts. Usability was a con- cern as well. The libraries had conducted usability studies of the site in recent years (Stephan et al 2006) and we knew, via our
  • 18. Page 17 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries public service librarians, which areas of the site were problematic or inaccessible. Out of this initial assessment came the decision to make major changes to the library Web site in the areas of infrastructure, design, accessibility, usability and content upgrades. The major goals in each area are as follows: Infrastructure: We wanted to apply Web standards by upgrading the site to XHTML and fully integrated CSS and SSI. We also wanted to prepare the site for the eventual inclusion of data-driven components utiliz- ing PHP, SQL, Python, Ajax and open source content management tools. Design: Coincidentally, at the time we were assessing the site, the University Administration began moving toward a unified Web presence across all depart- ments. This is an international professional trend with many benefits to both the orga- nizational image and the user experience. We wanted to take advantage of this oppor- tunity to redesign our homepage and nav- igation with an eye to balancing university expectations with access to the library’s vast array of electronic resources. Accessibility and Usability: We built a process of removing barriers to the Web site and incorporating some enhanced accessibility features. We made an early commitment to usability by seeking input from library faculty and staff. We also included our users in structured usability studies. Content Upgrades: A commitment was made to examine and evaluate Library Web site content, department by depart- ment and to strive for uniformity and con- tent excellence. Team Formation, Project Planning and Goal Setting It was decided early on that there would need to be a working committee whose charge would be to provide the primary oversight for the upcoming and future changes to the library Web site. While the importance of having committee members with technical skills was obvious, there was also a significant amount of recognition by the library administration that Web services are indeed “public services.” Recent litera- ture regarding Web committee establish- ment and dynamics offered us valuable insights regarding what to expect from members and the group as a whole (Church et al, 2005). In formation of the group we sought to balance the team with members who expressed a real interest in the Web and members whose technical skills made them ideal members. To this end, a broad committee was formed of eight members whose skills represent both public service and technical service aspects of the organization. Two additional teams were also formed. A small Web site Graphics Team met regularly and worked out the major design elements of the site. This included color schemes, font choices, banner graphics and logo site branding images and locations. Additionally, a Usability Team was formed to test the site. Team members first completed training provided by our school’s Institutional Review Board regarding the testing of human subjects. The team was charged with completing and interpreting two qual- ity usability studies on the site’s new homepage and navigational elements before the site went into production. The University of Mississippi Libraries Web site, like most major University library Web sites, is large and complex. In order to meet our Web site renovation goals, it was necessary to create a project plan which would both break out tasks into manageable workflows and prioritize focus areas according to a logical schedule. We made a decision to set as a primary goal the implementation of a new homepage and navigational scheme (headers and footers) by the beginning of the spring semester. From this vantage point we were able to fragment the project initially intoThe USM Library homepage as of July 2006.
  • 19. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 18 three large focused phases as follows: ࡯ Phase I: Consists of integrating major upgrades to the current library “bridge” page, homepage and secondary level headers and footers. ࡯ Phase II: Consists of prioritizing depart- mental upgrades according to a prede- fined rubric and upgrading each library department to current Web standards. ࡯ Phase III: consists of providing ongo- ing, dynamic database-driven Web capabilities and site management. (This also includes acquiring and setting up an Apache Web server in order to pro- vide dynamic content. The current Library Web site is located on a campus server which offers limited possibilities for dynamic services and content man- agement systems). With our stated goal of having a new homepage and navigational scheme up before the start of the spring semester, we began focusing on Phase I of the project. Our timeline gave us roughly four and a half months to complete this section. Good project management was critical to this phase of the project due to the tight timeline and firm deadline involved. By breaking the phase into fairly granular components and then placing the summa- ry elements and associated activities neces- sary for completion into a Gantt chart, it was clear where critical dependencies would be. This then allowed us to create an exacting, task-specific timeline to meet our goal. Nuts and Bolts: Problem Solving and Completing Phase I The core goal of Phase I was to create a new homepage, site-wide navigational scheme and prep the site for the transition to XHTML and CSS. Upgrading a large site’s code core while retaining original content can be a real challenge; however, a few temporary stages can make it possi- ble. When we initially set out to redesign our homepage and navigational system we did not allow ourselves to be constrained at all by the technical frailties of the existing site. In other words, we would bend and break the old site to accept the new rather than adapt the new site based upon any limitations imposed by the existing Web infrastructure. With the exception of some previously well-branded imagery (note the printer’s marks), the new homepage and navigational scheme is entirely fresh. For our new homepage, we created a top banner with a five section dropdown navigational menu set. The dropdown nav- igation menu is entirely built with CSS and is fully accessible. Although Web forums abound with naysayers, pure CSS drop- down menus are possible by coding in conditional comments for Internet Explor- er. We also wanted a fully accessible rotat- ing news feature to keep the site alive and interesting. This was accomplished with a JavaScript routine which freezes with all panes open when JavaScript is disabled. Footers have become increasingly impor- tant on large sites as navigational tools. In our footer we placed an A-Z site index and links to other areas of the University Web that we know our users need while they are still using our site. An early mock up of the site design was built in Photoshop and presented to the library faculty and staff for input and com- ments. From here, a rapid prototype was built and tweaked until it was exactly how we wanted it to look. It was this prototype that was used in our formal usability stud- ies. Coding the page and site navigation for total accessibility across all modern browsers took considerable time. We want- ed the site to be fully expandable with enlarged text without any of the content overlapping that so often plagues CSS- styled sites. By utilizing concepts of “Bul- letproof Web Design” (Cederholm, 2006), we were ultimately able to get everything we wanted in our design with full and even enhanced accessibility features. A significant problem related to upgrad- ing large Web sites that cannot be shut down is how to get new XHTML/CSS- based headers, footers and navigation into New homepage as of December 2006.
  • 20. Page 19 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries older HTML pages. Or conversely, how can masses of content be migrated from HTML to XHTML (or PHP). Fortunately, at the UM Libraries, headers and footers were integrated throughout the site as serv- er side includes. One file controlled the header and another file controlled the foot- er. Normally, it would be a simple matter of building new include files and giving them the same names as the include files currently in use. This, however, is not often possible. In the case of UM Libraries, the stat- ic HTML pages could not accept the new header and footers for two reasons. The CSS dropdown menus in the header required that the pages they go into be XHTML and that the content areas are z-indexed. If content areas are not z-indexed, then over- lapping or rearranging of the page occurs. Both render the page useless. Additionally, because our pages are of different lengths, it was necessary to have a floating footer. Pages that are not properly coded cannot accept a floating footer as it actually will rise to the top of the page and hide behind the header. We solved this problem by cre- ating an interim header and leav- ing the old footer in place temporar- ily. The interim header did not feature a drop down menu. Rather, the top menu levels led to a new set of pages which mimicked the links on the drop down menus. In this way the site was still fully navigable from the older pages. Over the course of the next month, every page on the library site was fitted into a template which replaced the Doctype to XHTML 1.0 Transitional, replaced the old SSI code, referenced appropriate style sheets and created style control with only two content div tags. Conclusion At UM Libraries we have now begun the work of Phase II: content upgrades and Phase III: dynamic content and long term maintenance. Looking to the future, for large scale library Web sites, major renova- tions like these should become a thing of the past. Commitments to Web standards, dynamic technologies and daily attention to content will make library Web sites the cutting edge information portals they can and should be. ࡯ Note the small “home” link at the top left. Note the small “home” link at the top left. References Cederholm, D (2006). Bulletproof web design. Berkeley, CA: New Riders. Church, J. & Felker, K. (2005). Web team development. portal:. Libraries and the Acade- my. 5, 545-554. Dahl, M (2004). “Content Management Strategy for a College Library Website.” Library and Information Technology. 23, 23-29. Shea, D, & Holzschlag, M (2005). The Zen of CSS design: Visual Enlightenment for the Web. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press. Stephan, E. , Cheng, D. T., & Young L. M. (2006). “A Usability Survey at the University of Mississippi Libraries for the Improvement of the Library Home Page.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship. 32, 35-51. W3C, (2007, 1,17). W3C World Wide Web Consortium. Retrieved January 21, 2007, from W3C World Wide Web Consortium Web site: http://www.w3.org/
  • 21. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 20 Lamar County Library System’s Experience with Thin-Client Computing Jeanne Crider Director Lamar County Library System Jaketha Farmer Training and Technology Specialist Lamar County Library System Abstract Thin-client computing was implemented several years ago in the Lamar County Library System (LCLS) to accommodate a small IT staff. Since that time, the ways that libraries are used and how patrons store data have changed. Crider and Farmer have found that their once useful system is not able to accommodate their needs or their patrons’ needs. While thin- client computing works for some systems, it has not been successful for the LCLS. In their article, the authors look at how their thin client system is not working and what they are now trying to do to accom- modate their patrons’ needs. Introduction When I came on board as the new director in May 2006, I spent most of my time gathering information from staff and patrons with the intent of evaluating every aspect of the library system. Very quickly I decided that customer service – in terms of providing a patron and staff-friendly envi- ronment – would be my first priority. From the beginning, I was bombarded with com- plaints about public access computing from both staff and patrons. Lamar Coun- ty Library System is one of the few libraries in the state that utilizes thin-client computing. At this point in time, several major problems exist with our thin-client situation: 1. Patrons cannot use flash drives to save work because the thin-client terminals we own do not support USB 2.0. For the few newer terminals that do support USB 2.0, we can not configure the Cit- rix server to recognize those drives once plugged in. 2. If problems occur on the Citrix server and it unexpectedly shuts down, every- one connected, including staff and patrons, loses the connection to the server and thus all of their work. Branch managers often have to write notes on library letterhead to teachers explaining why students lost or could not finish presentations or reports. 3. Plug-ins, such as QuickTime, ActiveX, and Flash, cannot be downloaded onto the terminals to support many online activities. Only the system administra- tor can allow downloads to occur. This often requires that the server be reboot- ed, thus kicking everyone off the net- work. Even then, some plug-ins still will not open when a patron attempts to load a page. 4. With thin-client computing, network traffic must route through the host site; therefore, software, such as Internet Explorer and the Microsoft Office suite products, often runs very slowly. Even while typing in Microsoft Word, one experiences a latency that causes confusion and makes working in Word inefficient. 5. When problems occur, staff usually cannot troubleshoot and have to work around it until the IT consultant could be called in. Unfortunately, our IT con- sultant often cannot do a site visit on the same day (or week) that we call. In December 2006, our Training and Technology Specialist, Jaketha Farmer, and I took part in the Rural Library Sustain- ability workshop at the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC). As we sat around the tables in our various small groups, the dis- cussion focused on brainstorming ways to fund sustainable technology in a world of limited funds. “At Lamar County Library System, we need to decide whether we want to upgrade our thin clients or move back to a PC environment,” I said. “Thin clients…only in our dreams,” breathed one director. “We wish we had thin clients; PCs are such a headache,” another director stated. Jaketha and I looked at them incredu- lously. Were Mississippi public librarians seriously dreaming of one day moving from PC-based environments to thin-client computing? Surely they had not experi- enced how thin-client computing works, or Table 1. Active Workstations at LCLS (as of 2/2/07) # of # of Thin Clients PCs Staff Patrons Circ OPAC Lumberton Library 1 3 1 – Purvis Library 1 3 1 1 Oak Grove Library 3 10* 2 – Sumrall Library 1 3 1 – TOTAL *Two thin clients serve as OPACs.
  • 22. Page 21 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries in our case fails to work. The grass is always greener on the other side. While we do not believe that this form of networking is bad for every situation, it has not worked for Lamar County Library System. We hope that by sharing our experience it will provide other librarians with the pros and cons surrounding thin-client comput- ing. While some see thin clients as the answer to their network problems, Lamar County Library System is realizing that thin- client computing has its own set of prob- lems and requires careful consideration. Background In July 1997, Lamar County Board of Supervisors voted to separate from Pine Forest Regional Library System and estab- lish the Lamar County Library System (LCLS). Becoming official in October 1997, LCLS was composed of three branches: Sumrall, Lumberton, and Purvis Public Libraries. The LCLS headquarters was located in Purvis Library. At that time, we were one hundred percent PC-based and most of our active computers were Pentium processors running Windows 98. In anticipation of a fourth branch, there were several 386 and 486 PCs being kept in storage. In the existing branches, each had at least three PCs for public use, one PC at the circulation desk, and one PC in each branch manager’s office. The public work- stations provided Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office. The branch manager and circulation workstations provided Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer and the library automation system (Sirsi’s Unicorn). At that time, all users had access to the floppy disk drives and CD-ROMs. Microsoft Office and Norton Antivirus were installed on each machine. Internet access was available through the MISSIN network and to gain entry, 56K lines ran from the two satellite branches to Purvis. A T-1 line connected Purvis to the wider MISSIN net- work through MLC and onto the Mississip- pi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) in Jackson. With the incep- tion of thin clients, the 56K lines had to be upgraded to T-1 lines. When Oak Grove opened in late 2003, this added another T- 1 line into Purvis, thus giving us three T-1 lines into Purvis and one going out to MLC onto ITS. On November 30 of last year, we migrated from MISSIN to Bell- south’s MPLS network. Sirsi’s Unicorn was – and is – the library’s automation system and it resides on its own server located in the administra- tive wing of the Purvis Library. With the inception of thin clients, two new storage servers were added: an application server and a domain controller/file server. What Is Thin-Client Computing? A thin client is “a low-cost, centrally- managed computer devoid of CD-ROM players, diskette drives, and expansion slots” (Thin Client). Thin-client computing relies heavily on the client-server model where the thin client provides a graphical display and the fat server houses all the software and performs all of the process- ing. In other words, thin-client computing provides an optical illusion. When patrons click on an icon locally, that software appears to be running locally as if it were installed on the machine itself. At LCLS, we have three servers, two of which are required to handle thin-client computing. First, there is the application server that runs the thin-client server oper- ating system, Citrix MetaFrame. This serv- er houses all software used by patrons and staff. Second, we have the domain con- troller/file server, which authenticates machines to the LCLS domain as well as centrally stores our data files. The Decision For Thin Clients In the late 1990s, the idea for thin- client computing came about for several reasons. First, funds were limited and although an IT consultant was hired on an as-needed basis, LCLS simply could not afford to hire anyone internally to handle even the simplest computing issues. Therefore, the full-time Head of Technical KEY TERMS Application server: A networked server dedicated to running software applications, such as the Microsoft Office suite. Domain Controller: Authenticates users to the network. Fat server: Same as an application server. Flash drive: Portable storage devices. Also known as memory sticks, thumb, jump, pen, or key drives. File server: A server that centrally stores data files. Mixed environment: Also known as hybrid environment, which runs both thin clients and PCs. Terminal Services: A server pro- gram running on Windows NT 4.0 (or higher) operating system that pro- vides the graphical user interface of the Windows desktop to user termi- nals that do not have this capability. (Terminal Services Product) Thin client: A low-cost, centrally- managed computer devoid of CD- ROM players, diskette drives, and expansion slots. (Thin Client) Thin-client computing: Relies heavily on the client-server model where the thin client provides a graphical display and the fat server houses all the software and performs all the processing.
  • 23. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 22 Services, Terry Lajaunie, volunteered to help. Within a short time, this put him in the compromising position of performing not only acquisitions, cataloging, reports, and later serial control; but also constantly trav- eling to the branches to perform PC instal- lation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The anticipated growth and actual demand from the Oak Grove Library along with the wearing of many hats proved taxing for one person. After many meetings with vendors and at least one visit to another library sys- tem with thin clients, the decision was finally made. LCLS adopted the thin-client architecture as its first true network. This allowed the Head of Technical Services to deal with problems on the server in admin- istration rather than traveling to the branches. Why Return To Personal Computers? Three of the greatest inconveniences with thin-client computing are (1) latency and bandwidth, (2) the inability to add or configure much-needed drives such as USB 2.0 ports, floppy and CD-ROM, and (3) the inability to run certain types of pro- grams, including graphical games and online courseware. Latency & Bandwidth In plain English, latency is “wasted time” (Latency), which involves waiting longer than usual for a Web page to load or waiting on words that were just typed to appear on the screen. In terms of network- ing, it is “the amount of time it takes a packet to travel from source to destina- tion. Together, latency and bandwidth define the speed and capacity of a net- work” (Latency). To our understanding, T-1 lines are the minimum bandwidth for thin-client com- puting; therefore, we had to upgrade to T-1. During talks with hired consultants it was suggested that the move to the MPLS network would improve latency because the switches would be far more efficient than the outdated hubs in use prior to the migration. However, this did not occur and our only recourse would be to take Admin- istration up to a 3mbps line. Doing this would more than double our monthly telecommunications charge. We are one of only a handful of systems that run thin client, so when attending the MPLS forums last summer, Bellsouth consultants could not specify how MPLS would actu- ally function for our environment. Drives Although most thin clients now come with two to four USB ports, that does not guarantee that your staff or patrons will be able to utilize those ports because they will need to be upgraded/configured to work (if possible). For LCLS, 83% of our active thin client terminals are out of warranty, so no upgrades exist that would allow the use of flash drives. To add even one external floppy drive at each branch, we would need to purchase four newer-model thin clients. At this point in time, thin clients are not much cheaper than PCs, so the sav- ings in purchasing them rather than PCs is minimal. Just as configuring USB ports poses a problem, so too does adding other exter- nal drives including floppy drives, which at this point are becoming obsolete. With that stated: how do patrons save their work? How do they save that PowerPoint presen- tation or that research paper? PowerPoint presentations most often exceed the 1.44 MB storage capacity of floppy drives, so what can we do? Software & Internet Issues Aside from hoping to offer computer classes to patrons, we would also like to offer WebJunction courses to library sys- tem employees. However, with thin-client computing, this is impossible. According to WebJunction’s technology require- ments, purchasing and/or accessing an online course requires that cookies are enabled, pop-up blockers are turned off, and the course be launched from a PC with Internet Explorer. All of these require- ments simply cannot be met in our thin client environment. Words of Wisdom First and foremost, setting up a thin- client environment can be costly. Aside from the thin-client terminals, there are other costs, such as “dedicated servers to run the applications, possible network upgrades to handle the increased loads incurred by the thin client system, migra- tion costs, and software licensing” (Chickowski, Thin Client). When it comes to licensing, software companies will not be cheated. While a single license is needed on each PC that has the Microsoft Office suite installed, thin clients also need a license. The thin client license is called a client access license (CAL) that allows remote access to termi- nal services. Regardless, the equipment, software and other licenses will cost you dearly and any type of skimping when it comes to purchasing reliable and efficient hardware and software will result in the establishment of a poor back-end infra- structure. Instead of the thin-client comput- ing environment offering stability, it slowly but surely becomes a costly liability. Second, Windows updates are neces- sary. Our application server runs both Win- dows and Citrix MetaFrame operating sys- tems. In 2005, sets of Windows Updates were installed that “knocked out” the entire network. Apparently, Citrix MetaFrame had “an allergic reaction” to one of the Windows updates and our entire network was down for several days. Since we had no network for staff or patrons, we had no other choice but to call the IT consultant who worked until the wee hours of the morning for several days to get things back up. Third, thin-client computing was never meant to exceed more than 15% of a net- work. Currently, thin clients make up – to be exact – 86% of the active workstations
  • 24. Page 23 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries at LCLS. “While it would be nice to replace all of your PCs with more easily administrated thin-client terminals, that is rarely advisable or feasible. … 85% to 95% of Citrix users work in a mixed envi- ronment” (Chickowski, Slimming Down). Fourth, upgrades in equipment are nec- essary. Just because thin clients have a five-to-seven-year life span, this is nothing to get excited about as the warranty expires within three years. If something goes wrong after the warranty expires, and you don’t have a large IT department, money is spent on an outside IT consultant. Our IT consultant recently found out that upgrades simply do not exist for terminals that are out of warranty. That seven year lifespan quickly becomes much less in reality. In actuality, you must purchase new thin clients and add external drives in hopes of configuring them to operate. Even then, there is the question of whether the server can be configured to recognize these external storage devices. Fifth, with some commercial software and hardware, there are compatibility issues. For example, Dymo label printers, of which we have quite a few, do not work in a thin client environment. However, the vendor’s Web site claims that they do and we purchased them with this understand- ing. We have learned that they must be attached locally to a PC to function on our network. Lastly, thin-client computing will not mask an already poorly managed IT envi- ronment. If your library system is not designed to properly manage your existing PC network, then thin-client computing may not make things any easier. Instead, it could shine a spotlight on your various networking problems, which places you in the position of either dealing with those problems or ignoring them in hopes that they will go away on their own. Of course the problems will not go away and your patrons will wonder who is actually in con- trol of your network. Conclusion Who could have known that in the five years since deploying thin-client comput- ing at LCLS, patrons (and some staff) would be carrying high capacity storage devices on their key chains? Who would have foreseen that students in junior high would be required to prepare PowerPoint presentations that far exceed the storage capacity of a floppy disk? Few could have foreseen such drastic changes in technolo- gy or our patron needs. Although there may be library systems throughout the state that find thin-client computing a viable alternative to PCs, Lamar County Library System has found thin clients to fall short of our needs and expectations. Patrons today are much more computer savvy than only a few years ago. Patron satisfaction is so impor- tant to the vitality of our library system and because of network problems we are sim- ply falling short. Aside from patrons, frus- trated staff cannot provide a high level of customer service without properly func- tioning equipment. In the coming months and years, Lamar County Library System will begin to add PCs to our thin client environment. Our hope is that we can function more efficiently in a more bal- anced hybrid environment by routing patrons to the terminals that will fit their needs. Those who need to do large pre- sentations and save them to flash drives can be put on PCs while those just check- ing email can be put on thin clients. After much research and consideration, we feel that this is the best decision for everyone involved. ࡯ References Chickowski, Ericka. (2005). “Thin Client Technology Gains Momentum.” Tech and Trends, 27 (7), p. 1. __________, Ericka. (2005). “Slimming Down: Thin Client Deployments Are Not Always Easy.” Tech and Trends, 27 (7), p. 30 “Latency.” Retrieved January 31, 2007 from http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/ latency.htm “Terminal Services Product.” Retrieved Febru- ary 1, 2007 from http://searchwinit.techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid1_gci213124,00.html “Thin Client.” Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/ sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci213135,00.html Visit our Website: www.misslib.org
  • 25. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 24 MLA Officer Nominees Vice President/President-elect ANNIE PAYTON Education: Ph.D. University of Mississip- pi (Psychology); M.L.S. University of Southern Mississippi; B.A. Tougaloo Col- lege (Psychology). Professional Experience: Director, James Herbert White Library, Mississippi Valley State University. Professional Activities: Member of ALA, MLA, ACRL, and Black Caucus of ALA. Publications and Presentations: Co- host of the 2006 ACRL leadership institute at Harvard University. Vice President/President-elect JAN WILLIS Education: M.L.S. University of South- ern Mississippi, 1998; B.A. University of Mississippi, 1979; A.A. Itawamba Com- munity College, 1977. Professional Experience: Director, Lee-Itawamba Library System, 2004-pres- ent; Assistant Director, Dixie Regional Library System, 1987-2004. Professional Activities: MLA, mem- ber: 1998-present; MLA Legislative Com- mittee, member, 2006-present; MLA Exhibits Committee, Co-chair, 2006-pres- ent, MAGNOLIA Database Selection Committee, member, 2004-present. Secretary JUDY CARD Education: M.L.S. University of Ten- nessee, Knoxville, 1972 Professional Experience: Youth Ser- vices Coordinator, First Regional Library, April, 2006-present; Memphis/Shelby County Public Library & Information Cen- ter, 1975-2003. Positions included: Chil- dren’s Librarian, South & Hollywood Branches; Manager, Main Library Chil- dren’s Department; Director, Adult Literacy Project; Administrative Assistant to the Director; Administrative Liaison to Friends of the Library; Staff Development Officer. Professional Activities: Mississippi Library Association: MLS Local Arrange- ment Chair, 2006. Tennessee Library Association: Chair, Staff Development Committee. American Library Associa- tion: Activities include: President, Continu- ing Library Education Network Exchange, 2005-2006; Congress on Professional Education Activity: COPE I-Steering Com- mittee, COPE II, Presenter; COPE III, attendee and facilitator; ALA Conference Coordinating Team-Toronto. Tennessee Storytelling Association-Secretary. Honors: Memphis Area Library Council Librarian of the Year 2004 Secretary JULIA RHOLES Education: M.L.S. Rutgers University, 1978; M.A. University of Texas (Austin), 1974 (Zoology);.B.A. Mount Holyoke College, 1972 (Biology). Professional Experience: Dean, Uni- versity of Mississippi, 2003-present; Assis- tant Dean, University of Kansas 1998- 2001, 2002-2003; Interim Dean, Univer- sity of Kansas, 2001-2002; Head, Refer- ence Division, Texas A&M University, 1990-1998; Acting Assistant Director, Texas A&M University, 1992-1994; Head, Maps & Microtext Depts., Texas A&M University, 1983-1990; Reference Librarian, Texas A&M University, 1978- 1983; Information Scientist, American Cyanamid, 1974-1978. Professional Activities: ALA, Member, 1980 to present; ALA councilor 2000- 2003; Reference and User Services Asso- ciation, secretary 1993-1995; MLA, 2003 to present; member, MLA Legisla- tion Committee. ASERL, member, 2003 to present; Chair, ASERL Education Com- mittee 2006 to present. EPSCOR Science Information Group, President 2006-2007. Publications and Presentations:: “Developing Partnerships to Create Elec- tronic Reserves at the University of Kansas Libraries,” (with Nancy J. Burich), Journal of Access Services, 1(4)59-70 (2003);“What Do the Patrons Think? Annie Payton Jan Willis Julia Rholes Judy Card
  • 26. Page 25 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries Library Surveys: Old & New Approaches to Assessment,” (with Kay Wall), SOLINET Workshop presentation, Starkville, December 5, 2003. Honors: Frye Institute Fellow, 2002; Association of Former Students Outstand- ing Librarianship Award (Texas A&M Uni- versity), 1994; Whitney-Carnegie Award (American Library Association), 1990. Treasurer DEE HORN Education: B.A. Delta State University, 1996 (English) Professional Experience: George E. Allen Library, Booneville, 1998-present; Head Librarian, 2002-present. Professional Activities: MLA member; Graduate of 2006 Librarianship 101 Insti- tute; Attended Children’s Librarians Retreat in 2003 and Youth Services Retreat in 2006. Presentations: Learning programs for staff at 2006 Northeast Regional Library System staff meeting; Librarianship 101 Institute Alumni program at 2006 MLA conference. Grants & Honors: Awarded grants from Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, the Wal-Mart Literacy Fund, Prentiss County Literary Fund, and Libri Foundation. Treasurer AMANDA POWERS Education: M.I.L.S. Simmons College of Library and Information Science, 2005; B. A Wellesley College, 1996 (English). Professional Experience: Reference Services Librarian, MSU Mitchell Memor- ial Library Reference Department, 2005- present; Serials/Processing Staff, MIT’s Dewey Library, 2001-2005; Marketing Manager, Chronos Asset Management, Cambridge, MA, 1999-2001; Assistant Editor, Bantam Books,1996-1998. Professional Activities: ALA RUSA CODES committee on Collection Devel- opment Policies and Assessment, and ASERL Virtual Reference Group; Missis- sippi State University’s Faculty Advisory Committee for the Center for Teaching and Learning, Libraries’ Podcasting Commit- tee and Library 2.0 Group. ALA Councilor BILLY BEALE Education: M.S. (Library Science) Sim- mons College, 1976; A.B. Loyola Univer- sity of Chicago, 1971; additional study Chicago State University; Northern Illinois University; The University of Southern Mississippi. Professional Experience: At Meridian Community College: Dean of Learning Resources, 1992 - present; Head Librari- an, 1991-1992; Computer Assisted Instruction Supervisor, 1983-1991; Acquisitions Librarian 1982-83; Self Study Director 1979-1982; Circulation Librarian 1977-1979; Middle School Librarian Enrico Fermi Elementary School, Chicago, Illinois, 1973-1975. Professional Activities: ALA member for 32 years; ACRL Copyright Committee, 1988-1990; Social Responsibilities Task Force, 1989; ACRL-Community and Jr. College Libraries Section Committees: Ser- vice to Special Needs Students, Chairper- son 1987-1989; Computers in Communi- ty Colleges Application and Management, 1986; Integrating New Technologies with Learning Resource Centers, 1987-89; Conference Program Committee, 1982; Instruction and Use Committee, 1982. MLA: ALA Chapter Councilor, 2000-04; Executive Board Parliamentarian 1982, 2003; Legislative Committee, 1993; Junior Members Roundtable: Treasurer, 1979; Vice-Chair, 1980; MLA-ACRL nom- inating committee, 1984; Black Caucus Roundtable: Vice-Chair, 2003-04; chairper- son 2005-06; MAGNOLIA board member. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: On-site Evaluator of College Sup- port Services, 1980-present. Honors: MLA Past President’s Award 1980; Stone Wall Book Awards Juror, 2005-2007; ALA Councilor SHERRY LAUGHLIN Education: M.S.L.S The University of Tennessee, 1977; B.S. The University of Southern Mississippi, 1974. Professional Experience: Associate Uni- versity Librarian, 2006-present; Head, Infor- mation Services, 1996-2006; Head, Refer- Dee Horn Amanda Powers Billy Beale Sherry Laughlin
  • 27. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 26 ence Department, 1990-1996; Govern- ment Documents Coordinator, 1986-1990, The University of Southern Mississippi; Medical Librarian 1980-1986; Veterans Administration Medical Center, Jackson; Ref- erence Librarian 1977-1980, USM. Teaching Experience: Government Publications 1987, 1989; Introduction to Reference Resources and Services 2001, School of Library and Information Sci- ence, USM; University 101, Division of Undergraduate Studies, 2002-2004; undergraduate advisor 2002-2006. Professional Activities: ALA: ACRL, LAMA, Chapter Relations Committee, Chapter Editors Interest Group 1987- 1990; RUSA Managers of Users Services Section Professional Development Com- mittee. MLA (selected): Association President 1993; Annual Conference Chair 1992; Conference Local Arrangements Chair 1999; ACRL President 1996; Mississippi Authors Awards Committee Chair 1989; Legislative Committee 1992-1995; Mis- sissippi Libraries editor 1986-1990, 2005; Constitution, Bylaws & Organiza- tional Review Committee Chair 1998. USM (selected): Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi President 1995-1996; Presi- dent-elect/President, Faculty Senate 1999- 2001; University Strategic Planning Com- mittee 1999-2000; Campus Master Plan- ning Committee 2000-2001; Presidential Search Advisory Committee 2002; Distrib- uted Learning Committee/Intellectual Property Subcommittee 2002; University Assessment Committee 2005-present; Library Building Committee 1990-1997; Library Allocations/Acquisitions Commit- tee Chair 1992, 2002-2006; Public Rela- tions Work Group Chair 2004-present. Publications and Presentations: “The Ready Reference Collection: Missis- sippi,” Tennessee Librarian, vol. 30, Fall 1978; “Concept Paper for a Statewide Health Information Network,” Mississippi Health Information Network organizational meeting, 1986; Mississippi Library Automation Directory, Jackson: MLA, 1987 (with E. A. Williams); “Challenges and Opportunities: Building Programs at MSU, UM, and USM,” Mississippi Libraries, vol. 55, Summer 1991; “Chart- ing Our Course: The Annual Conference of the Mississippi Library Association,” Mississippi Libraries, vol. 56, Fall 1992; “Sailing Through: MLA Conference a Success,” Mississippi Libraries, vol. 56, Winter 1992; Children’s Authors Speak, Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993 (with J. L. Porter). Honors: MLA Outstanding Achievement Award 1991; H.W. Wilson Library Period- ical Award for Mississippi Libraries 1991; Mississippi Legislature Higher Education Appreciation Day, Working for Academic Excellence nominee 1992. SELA Representative ADRIENNE MCPHAUL Education: M.L.I.S. University of Alaba- ma, 2003; B.A. University of South Alabama, 2002 (English). Professional Experience: Information Services, Cook Library, University of Southern Mississippi, 2003-present. Professional Activities: Chair, MLA Library Instruction Roundtable. Publications and Presentations: Journal of Academic Librarianship, The Southeastern Librarian and The Georgia Library Quarterly. SELA Representative DEBORAH LEE Education: Ph.D. Mississippi State Uni- versity, 2005; M.S.B.A. Mississippi State University, 1998; M.S.L.I.S. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1990; B.A. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1984. Professional Experience: Associate Director, MSU Center for Teaching and Learning, 2006-present; Associate Profes- sor/Coordinator, Library Instructional Ser- vices, Mississippi State University Libraries, 2003-present; Reference Librar- ian, MSU Libraries, 2000-2003; Coordi- nator of Serials, MSU Libraries, 1997- 1999; Acquisitions Librarian, MSU Libraries, 1993-1997; Collection Devel- opment Librarian, Millsaps College, 1991-1993. Professional Activities: MLA, SELA and ALA member; Past chair of MLA’s Association of College and Research Libraries section and Automation and Net- working Roundtable. Publications: “The Union Relative Wage Effect for Academic Librarians” in Industrial Relations, “Research Consulta- tions: Enhancing Library Research Skills” in Reference Librarian, “MAGNOLIA Resources for the Classroom” in the Mis- sissippi Reading Journal, “iPod,You-Pod, We-Pod: Podcasting and Marketing Library Services” in Library Administra- tion & Management, and “Mentoring the Untenured Librarian: The Research Com- mittee” in College & Research Libraries News. ࡯ Adrienne McPhaul Deborah Lee
  • 28. Page 27 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries About Books Iles, Greg. True Evil. New York: Scribn- er, 2006. [512 pp.] $25.95 hardcover. “True evil has a face you know and a voice you trust.” Like an adoring husband or a beautiful wife, as you will come to believe in this latest of many books of mys- tery and intrigue by Natchez native, Greg Iles. Like most of his works in recent years, this mystery is set in Natchez and its envi- rons. If you have visited its local shops and restaurants, such as Planet Thailand on N. Commerce Street, you will enjoy the local hometown feel of this thriller. When Agent Alexandra Morse, a suc- cessful FBI negotiator in hostage situa- tions, makes a fatal error on her last case, it ends with her partner’s death and multi- ple lacerations to her face. But Alex is already a woman in crisis. Suffering from the loss of her father, a bystander in a hold- up gone badly, she must face an addition- al calamity as her mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. With the sudden death of her sister, sorrow finally finds a breaking point; she is compelled to go solo as she focuses all her energies and resources to find some answers. A death bed plea from her sister Grace launches Alex into a murder investigation not sanc- tioned by the FBI. But her promise to pro- tect her young nephew Jamie keeps her focused on what is most important as she goes it alone in her search for a killer – or killers – responsible for the all too natural, untimely death of her sister. Unknown to Alex, a ruthless lawyer in Jackson, Mississippi offers an unusual service for wealthy clients intent on finding a way around divorce and prenuptial agreements that proves to be more lucra- tive than acrimonious settlements could ever be. His partnership with a ruthless medical genius named Dr. Eldon Tarver seals the deal in providing trusting victims for his diabolical medical experiments too heinous for the ordinary mind to comprehend. When Alex begins to untangle the web that is designed to entrap its next victim, a small town doctor in Natchez, she takes a big chance by warning him that his perfect life with a beautiful new wife is not to be believed. So begins a tense and uneasy struggle between Dr. Christopher Shepard and the rogue FBI agent. Together they are locked in a series of events that finally con- vince the reluctant Dr. Chris to take measures to protect himself and his young son. Mystery thrillers set in familiar places take on a credibility that you might not expect. True Evil has just enough reality in its characters and settings to make it believable that something truly evil could even happen in a charming town on the Mississippi River. Highly recommended for a good weekend read. Ann Branton Head of Bibliographic Services The University of Southern Mississippi — ◆ — Kolin, Philip C. Wailing Walls. Wind and Water Press, 2006. [51 pp.] $9.95 paperback. Kolin, Philip C., and Susan Swart- wout, eds. Hurricane Blues: poems about Katrina and Rita. Southeast Mis- souri State University Press, 2006. [181 pp.] $17.00 paperback. Two books of poetry on a similar theme associated with Philip C. Kolin seemed a natural pairing for review. In Wailing Walls, we get the deeply personal side of Kolin’s poetry. He looks starkly at suffering in a multitude of forms, mostly described in the structure of a personal story. He uses images that are both expected and unexpected in his stories, and his perspec- tive remains true to a Catholic heritage. The book begins and ends with poems that could be read as prayers, as might be expected by the book’s title, and the last poem finally brings hope for redemption of all the described suffering. Some poems are too personal to carry a broad meaning, and rarely does he startle his reader with new insight. This book is recommended for libraries with strong literature and Mis- sissippi writer collections. The publishers can be contacted at timesing@zoominter net.net. In Hurricane Blues, Kolin and Swart- wout present the poems of many poets. Some are well-known in the poetry world, and others are new to publication. This collection is amazing in its variety of voic- es and styles. Most poems are first person experiences, and display how widely the damage was felt throughout the country. Many of the poems invoke Nature and God – even Gaia gets a mention – but the most moving stories are those that focus on the small details with large implications. Many of the poems express the anger and the pain of the experience; politicians are not considered favorably by these poets. The poems are grouped thematically from expectation to experience to recovery to resolution, with one entire section devoted to the flooding of New Orleans. This pro- gressive organization does a good deal toward encouraging the hopefulness expressed in the editors’ forward. Also, proceeds from the sale of this book will go towards hurricane relief. Since the poems are so personal and touching, it is disap- pointing that biographies are not included. The editors’ intend this anthology to be a historical record of experience, and as such, this book is recommended for libraries keeping such records and for libraries with strong poetry collections. Christina Torbert Head of Serials University of Mississippi — ◆ — Herndon, Ernest and Williams, B. Scott. Paddling the Pascagoula. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 2005. [196 pp.] $20.00 paperback. I live in Petal, Mississippi and drive over the Leaf River daily. This book revealed the beauties and wonders of the river and how often we take for granted something that we cross every day. Now when I drive
  • 29. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 28 over the bridge, I look down and pay attention to the boaters and the river. Pad- dling the Pascagoula gives a glimpse into the lives of people that live around the river and into a little known Mississippi treasure, the Pascagoula River. Three rivers are covered in the book. The two authors present different perspec- tives of tributaries of the Pascagoula River. The first part by Herndon covers the Leaf River, part two is the Chickasawhay River by Williams, and then both Herndon and Williams take different parts of the Pascagoula River. The upper Pascagoula is covered by Herndon and the lower Pascagoula by Williams. The narrative of this work is very descriptive and gives interesting viewpoints of two narrators: Ernest Herndon and Scott B. Williams. Herndon is a traditional adventurer who uses a canoe and Williams a kayaker who is more unconventional. Both perspectives add a richness and added dimension to a remarkable account of floating down the Pascagoula. I especially enjoyed the accounts of meals that the adventurers enjoyed. When I began to read the book, I was surprised when I realized that it was not a trail guide but a narrative diary. I was dis- appointed that the illustrations were not in color, but the authors explain they were unable to have color photographs due to budgetary constraints. The pictures in the book were taken by the authors and con- vey the beauty and wonders of the river such as a picturesque scene of dawn on the Chickasawhay River; a waterfall on the Leaf tributary and lagoons and cypress swamps. One weak point of this work is that it lacks a map of the Pascagoula River. Paddling the Pascagoula is recommended for all Mississippi libraries. Tracy Englert Media Librarian University of Southern Mississippi — ◆ — Fraiser, Jim; photography by Rick Guy. Vanished Mississippi Gulf Coast. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co., 2006. [104 pp.] $22.95 hardcover. Jim Fraiser, Tupelo lawyer and author of ten books, had a premonition in 2003 after finishing his novel titled, Camille. He stated, “Upon observing predictions that we were mired in a thirty-year-cycle of more frequent and destructive hurricanes, I became concerned that my beloved Mis- sissippi coast was due another Camille-like hurricane that would devastate the region.” In 2004 his own brother-in-law sustained three separate hurricanes in Punta Gorda, Florida. Fraiser urgently approached his pub- lisher with an idea to preserve the coast’s history, architecture, and culture through text and photography. They agreed and he again teamed with award-winning photog- rapher, Rick Guy. Guy provided the cam- era work in their 2004 Pelican release, The Majesty of Eastern Mississippi and the Coast. He currently works for The Clarion-Ledger, but his talent also appears in numerous news magazines such as Newsweek, People Weekly, and Time. It is with great luck Guy clicked his last frame days before Katrina struck. Fraiser literally, and with clear, color photos by Guy, leads us down the coastal road of Katrina’s destruction. Using Van- ished Mississippi Gulf Coast as our guide, we begin the journey in the eastern- most town of Ocean Springs. As if travel- ing on U.S. Highway 90, we pass through Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, Pass Christ- ian, and terminate in Bay St. Louis. Each coastal community is a chapter with three main sections: history, architec- ture, and culture. In the history section, we marvel at the Civil War “Bedsheet Surren- der” in Pass Christian and the use of “Cas- sette Girls” to transport gentility into fron- tier Biloxi. My favorite section, architec- ture, surrounds the reader with Greek revival structures, French colonial houses, and Creole cottages. One will be exposed to terms such as “second-story accordion railing” on the Tullis-Toledano House of Biloxi and “three-bay façade” as exempli- fied by the Widmer House of Ocean Springs. The terms, given without descrip- tion, are easily recognizable through Guy’s Edward Hopper-like photography. The culture section reads like a modern day chamber of commerce brochure. Museums, artist colonies, restaurants, Krewe events, and festivals were among the many activities one might have partici- pated in prior to Katrina. Unfortunately, these events may find themselves in the history section if conditions remain harsh for inhabitants. Time will tell, as the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport and the Bay St. Louis Little Theater slow- ly rebuild, repair, and reopen. Readers will enjoy Fraiser’s narrative, non-fiction style and Guy’s 142 color photographs. With every page turned, we read fun trivia such as, Long Beach once held the title of Radish Capital of the New South and Barq’s Root Beer is an 1898 Biloxi original. Guy’s before and after pho- tographs are intriguing, especially Gulf- port’s The Chimneys; one glances back and forth trying to distinguish recognizable landmarks from the famous restaurant. Readers may also question, “What kind of animal is perched atop the Dantzler- Fabacher House roof on page 65?” As a librarian, I feel this book lacks one necessity: an index. It is chock full of information well-informed researchers might pass over. In addition, when reprint- ing, I suggest the publisher fix minor, typo- graphical errors, and include a map of the coast. During William Faulkner’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, he said, “I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail.” With this profound quote, Jim Fraiser ends his most recent book with hope. Vanished Mississippi Gulf Coast is a tour-de-force of coastal communities devastated by hurricane Katrina. I recommend Vanish to public and academic libraries in Mississippi. It appeals to many readers, especially history buffs and Mississippi collectors. Maggie Moran Public Service & Reference Librarian Northwest MS Community College ࡯
  • 30. Page 29 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries People in the News Gabriel Morley has been named director of the Pike-Amite-Walthall Library System headquartered in McComb, effec- tive Jan. 1, 2007. Prior to coming to PAWLS, Morley served as director of the Washington Parish Library System in Franklinton, Louisiana. He was a daily newspaper reporter for eight years before earning his MLIS from the University of Southern Mississippi. Morley replaces long-time PAWLS director Toni James, who had been with the library for more than thirty-one years. James joined the PAWLS staff in 1975 and was named director in 1981. In 2000, she oversaw the construction of a state-of-the-art $3.2 million, 21,410 square foot main library and headquarters. — ◆ — Melissa Moak, a former elementary school librarian in the McComb Public School System, has joined the PAWLS staff as the new reference librarian. She earned an MLIS and a bachelor’s of sci- ence degree from the University of South- ern Mississippi. — ◆ — Nan Moak has accepted a job offer as Librarian at McMorrough Library on the Goodman campus of Holmes Community College. Ms. Moak, who has already assumed the position, received her BA in International Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2003 and MLIS degree from Louisiana State University in 2005. Immediately before her new appointment, Ms. Moak worked as a cata- loger with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in the Archives and Library Division. At her new station at Holmes Community College, Ms. Moak will work primarily with students in refer- ence and on faculty outreach. — ◆ — Josie Roberts, Purvis Elementary School Library- Media Specialist, received the 2006 Carroon Apple Award, sponsored by the Mississippi Library Association. The MLA School Libraries Section selects and presents the Carroon Apple Award for the purpose of recognizing out- standing accomplishment in the field of school library media services. Mrs. Roberts was one of three from Mississippi to be added to the American Library Asso- ciation and the Association for Library Trustees and Advocates 2005 National Advocacy Honor Roll that is awarded once every five years. With the leadership of for- mer Senator Jim Bean, Mrs. Roberts lead a statewide effort to secure legislation for every child in Mississippi to receive the services of a certified public school librari- an. Mrs. Roberts became a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Library Media in 2003. — ◆ — Maggie Moran, Public Service and Reference Librarian at Northwest Missis- sippi Community College, has accepted a two-year term on the American Library Association’s Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners Committee. Sponsored through the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fifteen members will meet at each ALA conference to compile lists. A book will result from their work. — ◆ — Hired in 1982 as Director at Blackmur Memorial Library in Water Valley and as Branch Head at Jesse Yancy Memorial Library in Bruce in 1984, Ann Ivy King has spent more than half her life in service to the library community of northeast Mis- sissippi. She will be retiring March 31, 2007, with no concrete plans for her retirement. “We never know what life will bring; I always said that if you had told me in 1981 (with my fresh BA in Biological Science) that I would spend the next twenty-five years as a librarian, I’d have laughed in your face! But God had plans for me, and I hope He still does,” said King. Those plans may include more time at her antique/gift store, Artifacts, on the town square, storytelling at local libraries and festivals, or graphic design and Web page design, all jobs she has juggled while serv- ing as librarian. — ◆ — Prima Plauche has retired as Direc- tor of the Hancock County Library Sys- tem after thirty-one years of service. Dur- ing Plauche’s tenure, library services in Hancock County grew from a single library to a system of facilities, programs and services that won numerous awards including the National Award for Library Services in 2001. The Board of Trustees has bestowed on Plauche the title of Direc- tor Emeritus, and she will continue to serve on the Library Foundation of Han- cock County Board of Directors. She has served on numerous state and regional committees and organizations, including the Mississippi Statewide Telecommunica- tions Taskforce and the Mississippi Prima Plauche Josie Roberts
  • 31. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 30 Statewide Information Network Taskforce. She also served as President of the Missis- sippi Library Association in 2003. — ◆ — David Woodburn has been promoted to Executive Director of the Hancock County Library Sys- tem (HCLS). He replaces retired direc- tor Prima Plauche. Woodburn has been with HCLS for ten years, serving as Public Services Coordi- nator, and Assistant/Deputy Director. Prior to coming to HCLS, he served as Execu- tive Director of the Mississippi Library Commission and Director of the Jefferson Parish (Louisiana) Library Department. Woodburn has also been Director at libraries in Yazoo City and Greenville, Mis- sissippi. “The Library Board of Trustees is pleased to have someone with his level of experience,” said Mary Sinders-Boutar, Board Chairman, “and we feel David is a real asset to the Library System.” — ◆ — Candace Vance has joined the Row- land Medical Library faculty at the Univer- sity of Mississippi Medical Center in Jack- son in the capacity of Head of Lending Services. Prior to joining the Rowland fac- ulty, Vance served as a reference librarian and ILL coordinator at Murray Sate in Murray, Kentucky. Vance has also worked at Aquinas College Library and at Vander- bilt’s Eskind Biomedical Library, both in Nashville, Tennessee. ࡯ David Woodburn News Briefs Guild Gives Check for Hurricane Relief The Bay Oaks Quilt Guild presents a check to the Kiln Public Library for Hurri- cane Katrina relief. The Guild created a quilt from Katrina remnants and other fabric to be auctioned off for the benefit of the library. Dream World One, Inc. in Santa Rosa, California, auctioned the quilt off at a fundraiser. Pictured presenting the check are, from left, Quilt Guild members Kay Buccola, Mary Hanson, Gloria Burlette; Sandra Ladner, Kiln Public Library Branch Manager; and Guild members LouAda Hanson, Therese Springer and Xochitt Piper. MLA Poster Shown to Bruce Rotary Club Bruce Branch Librarian, Ann Ivy King, and Purvis Branch Manager, Donna Phelps Fite, were invited to present their 2006 MLA poster session, “Silence Speaks Volumes: Adoption Adds Atmosphere” in December for the Bruce Rotary Club, Bruce, Mississippi. The poster session displayed the cause and effect of the Bruce Friends’ adoption of the Purvis Public Library following the damage caused by Hur- ricane Katrina. With a silent auction the friends raised and donated $1,000 to the restoration and/or replacement of lost materials. Several members of the Friends of the Bruce Library were present for the presentation. Pictured from left to right are Fran Russell, President of Friends; Jo Ann Denley, Treasurer; Donna Phelps Fite; Ann Ivy King; Penny Nelson, Secretary; Tina Bennett, Vice President. ࡯ Quilt Guild members present check to Lander. Photo by Mary Perkins. Silence Speaks Volumes: Adoption Adds Atmosphere poster presentation. Photo by Joel McNeece of the Calhoun County Journal.
  • 32. Page 31 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries December 15, 2006 10:00 A.M. The meeting was called to order at 10:05 A.M. by Susan Cassagne with the following present: Susan Cassagne, President Tracy Carr, Special Library Section Deb Mitchell, Legislative Committee Jennifer Smith, Outgoing Public Library Chair Randy Sherard, Trustee Otha Keys, Incoming Secretary Catherine Nathan, VP/President-elect Jackie Quinn, Secretary Black Caucus Round Table Rob Lipscomb, ALA Counselor John Whitlock, Special Library Section Mary Julia Anderson, MLA Marsha Case, JHLS Jeff Slagell, VP-Elect Carol Green, Treasurer Margaret A. Bell, Vice Chair Elect Black Caucus Diane B. Willard, School Section Chair A quorum was declared and the minutes from the last meeting were handed out, read, and it was moved and seconded that the oral report of minutes be accepted. There was also a recommendation of the bylaws committee which was set. ࡯ Carol Green orally presented the treasury report and stated that copies will be given out later, because all expenses were not in. Therefore the report was not a complete and full account- ing of 2006 and the total income amount listed was off. Catherine Nathan stated that as of Thurs- day, December 14, 2006, the budget was bal- anced, matched and the issue would be revisited after the new year at the next meeting. It was then moved and seconded to accept the financial report. It was approved unanimously. ࡯ Susan Cassagne reported that it was a great conference and wanted to say thanks to everyone for the good time had by all. She also stated it had been a long year and wanted to thank every- one for staying on a second year and staying together. ࡯ Catherine Nathan gave her VP report of the conference evaluation and seconded Susan’s comments of a great convention. She stated that 525 people came through and it was well attend- ed. However, only fifty-seven evaluations were returned. She handed out an overview of com- ments. A special thanks was given to Glenda Segars and Jan Willis, who made the exhibits happen. Even though there were restrictions placed on us by the casino as far as refresh- ments, hotel rooms, etc. were concerned, overall things went very well. One hundred forty people attended the Presidential Bash and the pre-con- ference was a hit. There were more school librar- ians at this conference than ever before. Susan then had a conference related question dealing with the issue of reimbursement for someone who didn’t attend the conference and wanted to know if they could get their money back because the board was being asked to reimburse them for the registration fee. It was not from an individual but from an institution. A vote was taken for the institution to get only the registration fee back, because the meals had already been paid for. Catherine said yes and Robert Lipscomb second- ed the motion. The vote was unanimous to refund the money. ࡯ Robert Lipscomb gave his ALA report. He stated he would be attending ALA’s Midwinter meeting in January, other than that there was nothing major to report, but will inform us when he returns of any late breaking news and items of interest. ࡯ Jennifer Smith of the Public Libraries Section reported that they had elected new officers, who are as follows: Marsha Case, Chair; Madonna May, Vice-Chair; and Victoria Penny, Secretary. ࡯ Dianne Willard of the School Section had no report to give. ࡯ Tracy Carr and John Whitlock represented the Special Library Section and stated they give tours of great programs. ࡯ Randy Sherard, trustee, had no report to give. ࡯ Margaret Bell of the Black Caucus wanted to thank the local arrangements committee for all of their help during their luncheon. ࡯ Susan Cassagne stated that Hester Plauche made a challenge to give $1,000.00 to the Black Caucus if they raised $3,000.00, which will be put on the list serve and she wanted MLA to take a more active role in helping them raise funds. ࡯ Jennifer Smith from the Fiscal Management Committee said she would present her findings later. ࡯ Deb Mitchell of the Legislative Committee said she would present her report later. ࡯ Otha Keys gave the membership report and presented the committee with a handout of her findings. ࡯ Jeff Slagell gave some conference observa- tions. He reiterated how much First Regional played a big part in this conference after bounc- ing back from Hurricane Katrina. He gave a spe- cial thanks to Catherine Nathan and all of her staff for all they did and she said thanks on behalf of all of her employees and helpers. There was no old business. There was no new business. Susan Cassagne declared the 2006 Board Meeting adjourned at 10:40 a.m. and passed the gavel over to Catherine Nathan. Susan later emailed me a copy of the 2006 Final Report of the Black Caucus Round Table from Billy Beal. ࡯ December 15, 2006 10:45 A.M. The board meeting began at 10:45 a.m. with Cather- ine Nathan passing out a list of new officers. The fol- lowing individuals were in attendance: Susan Cassagne, President Tracy Carr, Special Library Section Deb Mitchell, Legislative Committee Jennifer Smith, Outgoing Public Library Chair Randy Sherard, Trustee Otha Keys, Incoming Secretary Catherine Nathan, VP/President-elect Jackie Quinn, Secretary Black Caucus Round Table Rob Lipscomb, ALA Counselor MLA Executive Board Meeting Minutes
  • 33. Mississippi Libraries Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Page 32 John Whitlock, Special Library Section Mary Julia Anderson, MLA Marsha Case, JHLS Jeff Slagell, VP-Elect Carol Green, Treasurer Margaret A. Bell, Vice Chair Elect Black Caucus Diane B. Willard, School Section Chair The next Executive Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 6, 2007 at 2:00 p.m., which is also MLA’s Annual Legislative Day. ࡯ Deb Mitchell reported that on Legislative Day all attendees will meet with Sharman Smith, Executive Director of Mississippi Library Com- mission, who will give everyone legislative high points at 4:00 p.m., with a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. She stated that this year the func- tion will be held at MLC instead of The Eudora Welty Library. Also, MAGNOLIA is 10 years old and they will be hosting a birthday reception for MAGNOLIA. She also brought up information concerning personnel grants and asked if we could have a representative present at the Missis- sippi Municipal Association and Mississippi Board of Supervisors Meetings. Deb presented the goals from the Legislative Committee. The committee developed 14 goals with number 14 - explore the possibility of obtaining First Respon- der Status for public libraries – being new and recently added. The goals will be posted on the list serve. National Library Legislative Day will be May 1, 2007 and May 2, 2007. Deb will be Co-Chair along with Glenda Segars. The rec- ommendation was made to vote to adopt the legislative goals and it was unanimously voted upon and adopted. Jeff Slagell wanted to know how many went to D.C. last year and was told it was 12. ࡯ Jennifer Smith of the Fiscal Management Committee passed out the 2007 Proposed Bud- get and the recommendations from her commit- tee. She stated that Linda McKay made the spreadsheet that they use and it makes life easier. She then suggested and recommended that we meet and amend the budget 4 times a year. For Item 5570 – Convention Grant was added where speaker fees will go, but it is not as accu- rate because not all the expenses are in. We went down on membership dues because of Katrina and other issues. There also was not much done with the Legacy Club. Item 5520 will change and be more. Donations will also change and be more. So for the February meeting we will be given an amended budget. Item 6700 dealt with program printing. Catharine Nathan stated that printing was donated for the pre-conference mail out. The question arose as to how convenient was that mailing? Susan suggested mailing out a very, abbreviated one and put on it for more information to go to the MLA website. For the recommendations to the Board from the Fiscal Management Committee, there was no discus- sion and we took a vote up or down. The vote was unanimous to accept the recommendations. ࡯ The nominating committee, who is chaired by Frances Coleman, with Paul Cartwright being the Chair of the Election Committee, sent recommendations for upcoming candidates. The candidates are as follows: VP Candidates – Annie Peyton & Jan Willis Secretary Candidates – Judy Card & Julia Rholes Treasurer – Dee Horn & Amanda Powers ALA Counselor – Billy Beal & Sherry Laughlin SELA Counselor – Adrienne McPhaul & 1 per- son pending Each candidate has confirmed to have their name in nomination and they will take over in December 2007. This was voted on in addition to approving the pending name. It was a unanimous vote. ࡯ Reports – none We will meet again on February 6, 2006 at 2 p.m. ࡯ Jeff Slagell wanted to talk about Vicksburg and the upcoming conference there. He stated we have yet to sign a contract and he will meet with conference chairs as well after the new year. He also suggested we start thinking of a site for the 2008 conference. Randy Sherard suggested that before he goes to sign the contract that we meet to discuss the issues that arose in Tunica before the meeting with the representatives in Vicksburg to let them know exactly what we will need. Jeff agreed and also gave a big thanks to the MLC for all of their help. ࡯ Old business – none ࡯ New business – none The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a.m. ࡯ Have an article or theme issue idea for Mississippi Libraries? Contact us! E-mail story suggestions and comments to editor Elizabeth Stephan at estephan@ olemiss.edu
  • 34. 2007 Advertising Information Ad Sizes: Full Page...........................................................................................7 1/2"W x 10"H 1/2 Page Horizontal..........................................................................7 1/2"W x 5"H 2/3 Page Vertical ..............................................................................4 3/4"W x 10"H 1/3 Page Horizontal..........................................................................7 1/2"W x 3 1/3"H 1/3 Page Block ................................................................................5"W x 5 3/4"H 1/3 Page Vertical ..............................................................................2 3/8"W x 10"H 1/6 Page Horizontal..........................................................................5"W x 2 3/4"H 1/6 Page Vertical ..............................................................................2 3/8"W x 5"H Advertising Rates: SINGLE ISSUE RATES: CONTRACT RATES: (All 4 Issues) Full Page...............................................$175.00 .....................................$650.00 1/3 Page .............................................. 140.00 ..................................... 525.00 1/2 Page .............................................. 100.00 ..................................... 375.00 1/3 Page .............................................. 75.00 ..................................... 275.00 1/6 Page .............................................. 40.00 ..................................... 150.00 For more information about advertising in Mississippi Libraries, contact: Missy Murphey Mississippi Libraries, Advertising Editor J.D. Williams Library The University of Mississippi University, Mississippi 38677 662-915-6627 ulrmm@olemiss.edu Page 33 Vol. 71, No. 1, Spring 2007 Mississippi Libraries
  • 35. MISSISSIPPI LIBRARY ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP FORM Membership Year January-December 2007 २ New Membership २ Renewal Name _______________________________________ Mailing address ________________________________ ____________________________________________ City_____________________ State ___ Zip_________ Position______________________________________ Library ______________________________________ Home Phone __________________________________ Business Phone ________________________________ Fax _________________________________________ E-mail _______________________________________ One of the primary forms of communication between MLA and its members is the MLA listserv. As a member of the MLA list- serv you will receive important announcements from MLA via email and be able to discuss library related issues with your peers. If you are not already a MLA listserv member, can we add your email address to the listserv? २ Sign me up! २ I decline A. MEMBERSHIP TYPES Membership (Any person currently working in a library or information center. Mark by salary range.) $0 to $9,999 $15 per year $________ $10,000 to $19,999 $25 per year $________ $20,000 to $29,999 $35 per year $________ $30,000 to $39,999 $45 per year $________ $40,000 to $49,999 $50 per year $________ $50,000 to $59,999 $55 per year $________ $60,000 or above $60 per year $________ Student (2 Year Limit) Full or Part-time $10 per year $________ Retired $15 per year $________ Trustee $15 per year $________ Friend of Library $15 per year $________ Institutional Membership $45 per year $________ Vendor $40 per year $________ Lifetime membership One-time Payment $1000 $________ Installment Plan (Payable in increments of a minimum of $200 each year until paid in full) $________ A. MEMBERSHIP TYPES SUBTOTAL $________ http://www.misslib.org/ 601.981.4586 • Fax 601.981.4501 B. SECTIONS Enter “FREE” for one section membership (Enter $6.00 for Additional Sections) Academic (ACRL) $_________ Public $_________ School $_________ Special $_________ Trustee $_________ B. SECTIONS SUBTOTAL $_________ C. ROUNDTABLES Join one or more roundtables for opportunities in professional growth $3.00 EACH. ANRT $_________ (Automation and Networking) BLACK CAUCUS $_________ ECTRT $_________ (Educational Communication and Tech) GODORT $_________ (Government Documents) LIRT $_________ (Library Instruction) NMRT $_________ (New Members) SCRT $_________ (Special Collections) TSRT $_________ (Technical Services) 2YCRT $_________ (2 Year College) YPSRT $_________ (Young People’s Services) C. ROUNDTABLES SUBTOTAL $_________ D. SCHOLARSHIPS Donation to Peggy May Scholarship $_________ Donation to Virgia Brock-Shedd Scholarship $_________ D. SCHOLARSHIP SUBTOTAL $_________ GRAND MLA TOTAL (DUES GRAND TOTAL (A+B+C) AND SCHOLARSHIP D) $_________ ___ Check enclosed (Make payable to Mississippi Library Association and mail to MLA, P.O. Box 13687, Jackson MS 39236-3687). All dues include subscription to Mississippi Libraries. ___ Please charge my MLA dues to my: २ VISA २ MasterCard Account Number _______________________________ Expiration Date_________________________________ Signature_____________________________________ Dues must be paid by March 1 in order to receive the Spring issue of Mississippi Libraries and for annual election of officers. MLA may at times supply its membership list to professional organizations or library vendors. २ Check the box if you do not want your name included. (Revised 12/06)
  • 36. Mississippi Library Association P.O. Box 13687 Jackson, Mississippi 39236-3687 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U. S. POSTAGE P A I D PERMIT NO. 312 HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI