Web based Information Services for Engineering Science and Technology

I R N Goudar

HeadInformation Centre for Aerospace

Science & Technology

NAL, Bangalore 560 017

goudar@css.nal.res.in

The Internet offers a gateway to a

myriad of online databases,

library catalogues and collections,

and software and document

archives, in addition to frequently

used store-and-forward services,

such as UserNet News and e-mail

Web: An Ideal Media and Source of Information

WWW provides hypertext access to documents located anywhere on

the Internet.

Web facilitates combination of text, pictures, sound, animation and

video.

Many varying information systems are tied into a homogeneous

browsable, searchable web.

Efficient information delivery.

Information on desktops of users.

Vast majority of Internet services are free for taking.

Contd...

Net is equal opportunity provider without caste, creed, colour, belief,

etc.

Physical disabilities don’t matter for usage of sources.

Net requires motivation and motivated learning is much more fun.

Information sharing with global dimensions.

WWW is a very successful distributed information system.

New dimension and new responsibility for Library & Information

Science Profession.

Contd...

Easy way to get access to Government produced information.

Integration of local and remote Library & Information services using

web browser as a common user interface.

Internet is forcing libraries to move from ‘Owning’ models to ‘Access’

models.

IP enabling for accessing information databases.

Facilitates keeping abreast of rapidly changing data.

Internet Access Vs CD-ROM Access

Criteria Internet Access CD-ROM Access

Currency Generally more current Depends on update frequency

Retrieval Depends on many factors Better search capabilities

Ease of Access Slow access affects CD-ROM networks shouldweb databases be immune

Maintenance Less maintenance More especially when networked

Platform Independent Run on particular platformdependency

Internet: Some Interesting Statistics

• Over 350 million users today

• Will cross a billion mark by 2005

• 150 million likely to get connected in 2000

• Eastern and southern European prefer Wireless Web

Access on cell phones and palmtops

• UN’s Human Development reveals that 88% of World’s

Internet users are in wealthy and developed nation

• Adult sites were a $1 billion industry in 1998

• Teens >25% visit X-rated sites

• 51% of American classrooms have net connection

DATE HOSTS

08/1981 21305/1982 23508/1983 56210/1984 1,02410/1985 1,96102/1986 2,30811/1986 5,08912/1987 28,17407/1988 33,00010/1988 56,00001/1989 80,00007/1989 130,00010/1989 159,000

DATE HOSTS

10/1990 313,00001/1991 376,00007/1991 535,00010/1991 617,00001/1992 727,00004/1992 890,00007/1992 992,00010/1992 1,136,00001/1993 1,313,00004/1993 1,486,00007/1993 1,776,00010/1993 2,056,00001/1994 2,217,000

Internet Domain Survey-Number of Internet Hosts

DATE HOSTS

07/1994 3,212,00010/1994 3,864,00001/1995 4,852,00007/1995 6,642,00001/1996 9,472,00007/1996 12,881,00001/1997 16,146,00007/1997 19,540,00001/1998 29,670,00007/1998 36.739,00001/1999 43,230,00007/1999 56,218,00001/2000 72,398,092

What Users Do on the Internet

Activity Internet users (percent)

Email 90%General information 77Surfing 69Reading 67Hobbies 63

Product information 62Travel information 54%

Work/Business 46Entertainment/Games 36Buying 36Stock quotes 27

Job search 26Chat rooms 24%Homework 21Auctions 13Banking 12Trading stocks 7

Top Web Sites (May 2000)

Rank Web site Unique visitors (thousands)

1. AOL Network* 59,2302. Microsoft sites* 49,3093. Yahoo sites* 48,8514. Lycos* 32,4755. Excite@Home* 28,7516. GO Network* 23,0657. About.com sites* 17,9268. NBC Internet* 16,4899. Amazon* 14,97210. Time Warner Online* 14,25611. AltaVista Network* 14,18312. Ask Jeeves* 13,319

Top Shopping Sites (May 2000)

Rank Web site Unique visitors (thousands)

1. Amazon.com 14,040

2. Blue Mountain eCards 13,042

3. eBay.com 12,046

4. AOL Shoppping Channel 11,419

5. AmericanGreetings.com 7,243

6. MyPoints.com 5,528

7. Barnes & Noble.com 5,167

8. Webstakes.com 4,922

9. BizRate.com 4,908

10. Priceline.com 4,768

Top Education Sites (May 2000)

Rank Web site Unique visitors (thousands)

1. University of California, Berkeley 1,733

2. University of Michigan 1,550

3. University of Texas at Austin 1,455

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1,331

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1,261

6. Harvard University 1,215

7. University of Tennessee 1,168

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1,135

9. Cornell University 1,098

10. University of Virginia 1,017

Top Government Sites (May 2000)

Rank Web site Unique visitors (thousands)

1. NASA 1,945

2. State of California 1,808

3. National Institutes of Health 1,694

4. National Oceanic and Atmospheric 1,683

Administration

5. U.S. Department of Education 1,344

6. U.S. Navy 1,192

7. U.S. Army 1,148

8. Library of Congress 1,061

9. National Park Service 947

10. U.S. Geological Survey 936

Media Content: Internet

Listservs and Discussion Groups

Government Resources

DocumentDelivery

Information & Servicesat Remote sites

Library Catalogues

Shopping and other Commercialtransactions

BulletinBoards

Subject

Databases

Community Information

CommercialResources

Library Websites - Why?

• Facilitate and promote library use

• Basic information about library and its services

• On-line access to local sources

• Gateway to networked information sources

• Integrate Push-based services

Basic Library & Information Services

Networked CD-ROM Databases

Links to remote information

Interactive homepages Library Website:

ApplicationsOPAC

Indexing, Cataloguing & Classification

Document Acquisition

ILL & Document Delivery

Push-based services

Uses of Internet Access in Libraries

Library Website Development

• Design

• Authoring & Testing

• Launch

• Maintenance

Library Website - A case study of ICAST, NAL

Listservs & Discussion Group

• Variety of topics

• Exchange current information

• Conduct a dialogue

• Particular interest to information managers

Subject Databases

• Especially from R&D/Academic institutions

• Number is increasing

• Ex: India University’s Biology files

Community Information

• Usually through public libraries

• Catalogue of local public libraries

• Tour of art gallery

• Tourist Information

• Weather bulletins

Government Resources

• National and local governments

• Legal information

• Government institutions

• Ex: NIC’s site

Library Catalogues

• Increased number of catalogues on net

• Usually large university libraries and public libraries

• Few Indian too

Shopping & Other Commercial Transactions

• Shopping Malls

• On-line Book Shop

• Amezon

• Music, CDs, gifts, toys, etc.

Document Delivery

• Libraries, Publishers, other agencies

• OCLC, BLDSC

• ISI, NTIS

• UMI, National Translation Centre

• Derwent, AIAA, etc.

Basic Library Information & Services

Applications

• Library hours

• Contact persons

• Policy/Plan Documents

• Quality Manuals

• Calenders

• Direct e-mail link for sources

• Databases

• Contents pages

Access

• Browse & Select

Content Format

• Text (HTML, PDF, ASCII), Audio(WAV), Images (GIF, JPEG), Video (AVI, MPEG)

Networked CD-ROM Databases

• Platform independent access to windows application on

the net

Ex: Citrix’s Metaframe using ICA

• List of networked databases and access using browsers

• Trend is towards hard disc hosting

Ex: ERL, OVID

Links to Remote Information

• Connection to resources around the world

• Links to Internet sites of relevance to its users

• Links to commercial databases

Full text, Bibliographic

• Internet Public Library

• Links to other library catalogues

• Links to frequently used bookmark files

OPAC

• Non - web enabled OPACs

• Telnet access

• Export OPAC records into text files, index using web-enabled softwares like MG, Free WAIS.

• Web - enabled databases

Indexing, Cataloguing & Classification

• Contents of book request form - Catalogue data

• Remote access to catalogues data

• Access to thesauri and controlled vocabularies

Document Acquisitions

• Links to publishers catalogues (books, journals, etc)

• Links to books databases

• Book sellers sites

• Journals Distributors

• Online shops (Amazon)

• Book request forms

Push-based Services

• Current Awareness Service

• List of Applications

• Hosting on web

• E-mail delivery

• Profile based alert services

• SDI

• Table of Contents

• Web Alert Service

• Web hosting

• E-mail delivery

ILL & Document Delivery

• Public access catalogues of other library

• In-built request forms

• Document Delivery

Interactive homepages

• Fill-in form for services & feedback

• Reservation of library material

• Circulation

• Inter Library Loan

• Reference question

Design

• Content

• Content formats

• Audience

• Structuring & navigation

• Layout

• Site search (Tools like SWISH)

• Site map and site index

• Feedback & help

Authoring & Testing

• HTML Editor

• Netscape Navigator & Composer

• Microsoft Front Page

• Dreamweaver

• Template - based design for large sites

Launch

• Quality Testing

• usability, consistency, accuracy, compatibility

• Publicity

• Site registration

• Links by other sites

Maintenance

• Updating

• Analysis of

• Link updation

• Back ups, trouble shooting

• Periodic testing