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The World Wide Web: A New Medium for Professional Communications
Eric H. Schnell, M.L.S.

Professional Service Activities

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of Web sites being developed by professional organizations. Library organizations already maintaining Web sites include the American Library Association (ALA), [2] the American Society for Information Science (ASIS), [3] the Association of Research Libraries (ARL),[4] and the Medical Library Association (MLA).[5] In addition to the main association sites, various sections, chapters, and special interest groups of these organizations are already either developing or maintaining their own sites. Since few organizations have a full time Web development team, it is usually a librarian active in the organization that is responsible for the site.

Organizations that offer Web sites can make the most timely information available to their membership. Having an association Web site makes it possible to publish election results, minutes from meetings, post information about officers, and offer general membership information. As with librarian Webspace, the use of the site is up to the creativity of the association or the individual responsible for maintaining the site. Other organizational activities which can make use of Web technology capabilities include newsletter publication and information about upcoming conferences. Newsletters

Perhaps the most commonly used communication tool used by professional library organizations is the newsletter. Editors of association publications are beginning to use the Web as an alternative or as a supplement to the traditional printed newsletter. The ability to revise Web documents instantaneously makes the updating of information, such as for announcements of sponsored events and workshops, available up to the minute. As the cost of producing and mailing printed newsletters continues to rise, the Web newsletter will become an attractive alternative. Conferences

In December 1995, the Fourth International World-Wide Web Conference was held in Boston, Massachusetts. A conference Web site was established months before the event, publishing all aspects of the event. Since public access workstations were available at the site, changes in programming and room assignments were updated and posted to the Web site throughout the conference. Interested individuals can still visit the site to access the abstracts of papers that were presented.[6]

Increasingly, library organizations are using their Web sites to advertise and make information available about their annual conferences and chapter meetings. Information traditionally printed in preliminary programs and other conference related mailing is now becoming available electronically as part of a conference Web site. This information can range from hotel rates to background about the host city. It can also include the names of invited speakers and abstracts of their intended topic of discussion. The bottom line is that anything which has to do with a conference is appropriate for its Web site.

There are some additional advantages to creating a conference Web site. Incorporating information located at a presenter's personal Webspace can save an organizing committee time by not having to re-key the information or having to write biographical sketches. Hypertext links can also be made from the conference site to the home pages of companies providing exhibits. Exhibitors could even pay to sponsor specific conference pages. Finally, the ability to perform real-time editing and updating can permit transcripts to be converted into Web documents and published as online proceedings.

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The text of this article is published by The Haworth Press, Inc. (10 Alice Street, Binghamton, New York 13905-1580) in IRSQ: Internet Reference Services Quarterly (The Journal of Innovative Information Practice, Technologies, and Resources) Vol. 1, Issue 4 (1996), Lyn Elizabeth Martin, Editor-in-Chief.

Page URL: http://bones.med.ohio-state.edu/eric/papers/irsq/service.html