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Applications of ICT in Libraries/Locating Information

This page is designed for the use of students undertaking the Diploma (Diploma ICTL) or the Advanced Diploma (Advanced Diploma ICTL) in Applications of ICT in Libraries.

These qualifications were developed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and are validated by the  Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)'

Locating Information on Behalf of Clients is a core unit in both the Diploma and Advanced Diploma programmes.

Introduction
This unit aims to develop your skills in working logically through the steps of a reference enquiry, typical for a public library, using Internet resources.

Reference and enquiry work has always been an integral part of the public library service. Nowadays many queries are answered using electronic rather than print sources. However, the processes and strategies used are the same with both print and electronic searches. So, any experience you have gained in answering queries through printed reference sources will enhance your competence in electronic searches.

Enquiry work can provide library staff with a great deal of job satisfaction. No two enquiries, or enquirers, are exactly the same – so searches for information are varied. Sometimes an information search will present a real intellectual challenge and require you to adopt an innovative or ingenious approach to tackling the enquiry. In such cases getting the required result for the enquirer is doubly rewarding. An effective enquiry service enhances the library’s reputation with its clients and creates a positive image for library staff – as professional, efficient and helpful people.

If you are a member of staff in a public library who deals with information enquiries from clients and answers them using the Internet, you will have developed some or all of the expertise required for this unit. Read through the following information carefully. It summarises the knowledge and skills which you need in order to produce evidence of your competence.

The unit involves interacting with library clients, establishing their information needs and using the Internet to search for the required information. This must be done in a real library environment and you will need access to the Internet, preferably broadband. Specifically you are asked to:

Define the precise nature of the enquiry in conjunction with the client

The main knowledge and/or skills required are:

 * reference interview techniques
 * open and closed questions
 * determining the nature of information to be provided– quantity, level, format
 * constraints – deadlines for completion, currency of information and language

Create a search strategy to fully satisfy the enquiry

The main knowledge and/or skills required are:

 * choice of search terms
 * structuring the search
 * common search engines
 * directories
 * meta crawlers
 * portals
 * bibliographic databases

Evaluate the results of the search in terms of validity of information found and its appropriateness in meeting the client’s needs

The main knowledge and/or skills required are:

 * validity of information - reliability, accuracy and currency
 * measuring success of search in terms of client’s requirements – sufficiency, format and language
 * structuring and saving of search results for presentation to client, later retrieval, future updating

Assessment

The unit is assessed through four short searches and one extended search. These will be searches related to typical information needs of public library clients. Some examples are:

Short Searches

Finding out:

 * the current community charge rates in your locality
 * the sequel to a novel which the client has recently read
 * the post code of a firm for which the client knows name, street and town
 * whether UK citizens require a visa to visit Thailand

Extended Search

A client wishes to explore the topic of asylum seekers in Britain. You would produce information giving Government policy, views of other political parties, statistics on immigration etc.

The Reference Interview
Defining the precise nature of the enquiry in conjunction with the client is often referred to as the reference interview. However, you may not carry this out face to face. Instead you may carry out the interview over the telephone or through a series of e-mails. It is undoubtedly easier and quicker though if you can manage to meet the client.

There are three main stages here:

 * Finding out what the client wants to know
 * Finding out why the client wants the information
 * Finishing off the reference interview

Finding out what the client wants to know
Before you can answer a question posed by a client, you must find out exactly what that question is. Experienced colleagues will be able to tell you of many situations where there has been a misunderstanding with a reference client, resulting in wasted time and effort and sometimes embarrassment.

Whichever means of communication you use, do remember that the reference interview is a two-way interaction or dialogue and you must take responsibility for the efficiency of the communication process.

The interview is likely to begin with the client asking you a question. Your task is to probe further until you are fully satisfied that you are clear exactly what the client wishes to find out. Remember to ask for clarification from the client about the topic, e.g. ask them to spell uncommon words, expand on the topic under investigation etc.

Finding out why the client wants the information
It is extremely helpful if you can establish early on in the interaction the reason why the client wishes the information requested. Tact may be required here, however, as some clients may be unwilling to give this information. This is especially likely where the enquiry is of a sensitive or confidential nature, such as a medical or financial problem. If the client appears uncomfortable or evasive when asked why the information is being sought, then it is unwise to probe further.

You should ascertain the starting point of the enquiry in order to avoid time being wasted on finding information which the client already knows. Ask whether the client has already undertaken any research on the topic and what the results of this were. This can give guidance on successful and unsuccessful information searching approaches. But do not write off a particular approach just because a client assures you that it has yielded no information. Remember the client is not an information specialist – you are! – and so the client may not have searched as thoroughly or as efficiently as you would.

Finishing off the reference interview
By the end of the reference interview you should be confident that the nature of the enquiry has been fully explored and that the information required by the client has been specifically defined. The reference interview also provides the opportunity to establish any special needs of the client e.g.: visual or auditory impairment.

And finally, do remember to record contact details for the client. In the excitement of exploring the enquiry and establishing the client’s precise needs, it is all too easy to forget this important information. So make sure that every reference interview ends by your recording name, address, telephone, fax, e-mail details, as appropriate. If you will be phoning the client, it is also polite to note when it is convenient for the client to receive your call.

YouTube How not to conduct the reference interview Auckland City Libraries The reference interview

Spoken and written communication
Good communication skills are key to the reference interview. This topic provides a good opportunity for practising and refining your communication skills.

Before proceeding, list the key factors you think would lead to good communication in a reference interview. Write these down on a piece of paper.

Factors leading to good communication
We think the important factors are:

 * Appropriate spoken language
 * Appropriate body language
 * Good feedback especially on the telephone
 * Good note taking skills
 * Clear and grammatical e-mails

Spoken language
You should use language which is appropriate to the client, avoiding talking down to the client or, at the other extreme, baffling the client with specialist jargon. If you do have to use a term which the client may not understand, e.g. “bibliography”, be sure to explain it.

For example, how would you explain “search engine” to a client who is not familiar with this term?

You might say something like “A search engine allows you to search for websites related to a particular topic. To use a search engine, you have to choose and type in appropriate key words describing the topic

Body language
In face-to-face situations, use appropriate body language designed to set the client at ease and promote effective communication. Smile and greet the client by name if possible. Lean forward slightly and use eye contact to show your interest in the conversation. Try to carry out the interview in a place where both you and the client are sitting comfortably and at the same level, preferably side by side.

What would you deduce from the body language of a client who fidgeted during the reference interview?

The most likely explanations are that the client:

 * is in a hurry, perhaps because of another appointment
 * may feel nervous in the library environment or about asking for your assistance with their query.

Test your understanding of body language with this simple quiz - http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/interviews/nvc.htm

Feedback
With telephone communications you will have to be careful in order to make sure that you fully understand what the client says because you will get no clues from their body language. You should use appropriate feedback techniques to ensure understanding of the client’s responses. For instance, you might:

 * Rephrase what the client has said and repeat this back to them
 * Ask if you can read out a summary of the enquiry based on the notes you have made.

See if you can pick up clues from the tone of the client’s voice. Conversely, make sure that your tone is positive and encouraging. Smiling as you speak into the phone generates a pleasant tone of voice which encourages helpful responses.

Note taking
In both face to face and telephone interactions, it is essential to take written notes of the main points of the conversation. These notes are your reference for checking that you have fully understood the details of the client’s enquiry.

You may have to put the query on one side for actioning later or you may pass it on to a colleague to deal with. In both cases a written record will be essential.

Writing e-mails
If you are using e-mail to communicate with the client, it is important to establish a cordial tone while remaining concise and to the point. Writing clearly and grammatically is key to this, as is structuring your e-mail so that the client can follow it easily and respond appropriately.

The correct sequence for actioning an e-mail enquiry is as follows:

 * 1) Thank the client for the enquiry
 * 2) Summarise what the enquiry consists of
 * 3) Give your proposals for how you will action the enquiry
 * 4) State when you will provide the search results
 * 5) Request confirmation from the client that your proposed actions and timescale are acceptable

Open and Closed Questions
In the reference interview, you will use both open and closed questions. These have different uses. It is important to be able to distinguish between the two types of question and to use them appropriately.

Closed questions prompt yes/no or short factual answers, such as:

Q. What time did you come to the library? A. 9 o’clock

Q. Is your daughter called Amelia Austin? A. Yes

Closed questions are mainly used in the reference interview context to:

 * elicit specific pieces of information from the client
 * gain confirmation that the your understanding of what the client has said is correct - an important feedback tool

The following are examples of closed questions:

Do you use a left-handed mouse?

This is a closed question which will be answered by yes or no.

What is the charge for printing a page of A4 text?

This is a closed question which will be answered by a specific sum of money such as 10p.

Open questions encourage longer answers, such as:

Q. Why did you ask for a dictionary? A. I wanted to check whether there was a difference in meaning between “main” and “mane”.

The main uses of open questions in the reference interview context are to:

 * establish rapport with the client
 * set the scene for the enquiry
 * gain background information which is relevant to the enquiry

The following are examples of open questions:

What will your students be using this information for?

A typical reply might be: "These are students undertaking an initial course in professional cookery. They will need the data to understand the calorific content of the foods in the recipe.”

Can you tell me how you went about looking for this information?

A typical reply might be: "I started off looking up autism in the encyclopedias but the information was too general and not up to date enough.

You will use both open and closed questions at appropriate times. When framing a question, always think of the type of response you hope to generate and word the question so as to encourage either a brief or an extended answer.

Nature of information required
Apart from the actual topic of investigation, there are other factors which need to be taken into account before a member of library staff will embark on the information search.

There are three main factors:

 * the quantity of information required
 * the level of information required
 * the format of information required

Quantity
What appears to be the same request for information could produce results differing in quantity by orders of magnitude. You must clarify the scale of information required by the client in order to fully satisfy their needs.

It may be that reference to a single book or website is required. Alternatively many in-depth sources of information may be required so that the client can analyse a breadth of opinion on the search subject.

Providing too much information is just as unhelpful as providing too little.

Level
It is essential that the information provided is at a level of complexity which enables the client’s full comprehension but does not patronise the client or tell them what they already know.

The following points are a good guide:

 * the client’s age (but remember age does not automatically bring wisdom!)
 * the client’s educational attainment
 * the client’s display of specialist knowledge
 * the client’s linguistic ability
 * whether the information is intended for the client themselves or for use by other people.

Tactful questioning can be used to make an estimation of the points listed above.

Format
The results may include information in various formats.

Difficulties may arise if the client has expressed an initial preference for a format in which the information is not actually available. If the information is only available in a limited number of formats, you must alert the client to this and ascertain if any of these formats are acceptable.

If the search is not carried out with the client present, you must ascertain if the client can visit the library at a later time to access the search results or if the information must be in a format which can be e-mailed or posted to the client.

There are many formats available, including several as a result of the introduction of ICT. Your search may direct the client to items of library stock, to be used in the library or borrowed for home use. This could include:

 * Printed reference sources or information CD-ROMs
 * Books, audio or video material for home borrowing
 * Magazines and journals
 * Pamphlets or leaflets

The search results may be bibliographies or lists of website references for the client to follow up. The results may be viewed on screen by client, in the form of text, audio or video.

Choosing search terms
Searching for information using the most appropriate key words is important in any reference enquiry. But it is arguably even more important in an Internet search than when you are looking through printed indexes. When carrying out a manual search, the human mind can make links and jump from one search term to another. Computers on the other hand stick strictly to the script and will only find information which matches what you have instructed them to look for.

Let’s look at how you can derive the search terms for an enquiry. You must be able to analyse a topic and break it down into its component parts. At its simplest you just extract the significant words, usually the nouns and verbs, and use these as search terms. An example would be a client asking for information about “How would you cook a vegetable like fennel?” Which word(s) would you choose as search term(s) in this enquiry?

The best choice would be "cook" and "fennel" - these two words are the essence of the enquiry. "How would you" is too general and "vegetable" would only be needed if there was some ambiguity over the nature of fennel.

The above is not necessarily true depending on the search tool you are using. For example if you use YouTube and type in - how do you... for almost any subject you will find video showing exactly what you want to know.

Examples of search terms
Here are some further examples of enquiries where you would be able to use one or more words from the client’s initial question as search terms. The search terms are in bold.

I need some advice on keeping a greyhound as a pet.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

Who is the chief executive of CILIP (the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals)?

What colour is the flower commonly known as ragwort?

Of course, the question as posed by the enquirer may not contain words which are the best search terms. You may need to think of alternatives in the form of synonyms (words which mean the same) and words related to the terminology used by the client.

ACTIVITY 3.1 List some reasons why synonyms and related words might be better search terms.

Synonyms
It is important to consider synonyms of a search term because the word given to you by the client may be one of many which describes the concept to be searched for, e.g. if a client wishes to know about illness, it may be useful to carry out a search with the word disease instead.

Try this example for yourself. Carry out two searches using the same search engine, the first with sports competitor as your search term and the second using sports opponent and look at the differences in the results.

The term suggested by the client may be a less commonly used or out of date expression, so it is vital to think of more usual or appropriate synonyms. The client might ask about Ceylon when requiring information about the country now known as Sri Lanka. It would therefore be appropriate to search under both Ceylon and Sri Lanka.

If you have time test your knowledge of the English language here - http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/tests/synonyms.htm

Related terms
Sometimes it is useful to use a related term for the word given by the client. When a client asks for information on malnutrition in Africa, a related term could be used instead of the rather broad one. An individual country could be substituted, such as Sudan. Of course, you must take into account that using related terms can change the nature of your search. In this example, using Sudan will give you results which are influenced by the particular problems suffered by this country which differ from other parts of the continent.

Can you come up with one or more potentially useful related terms in searching for each of the following?

 * web 2.0 applications in a library context
 * genetically modified crops
 * popular music in the 1960’s
 * saving using insurance policies
 * capital punishment in the USA

Some examples are:

For web 2.0 applications you could use social media

For genetically modified crops: Frankenstein seeds, Monsanto, soya

For popular music in the 1960’s: the name of any singer or group from this era – the Beatles, Dusty Springfield

For capital punishment in the USA: death row, electric chair, gas chamber, names of individual states where capital punishment is used e.g. Texas

Another aspect to be considered when choosing search terms is that while the client may give you descriptive terms for the information required, it may be more effective to search on actual names of individuals or organisations or concepts. Taking the earlier search regarding malnutrition in Africa, the description malnutrition could lead you to search using the key words World Health Organisation. This will lead to the WHO site where information on diseases in specific African countries is quickly located.

Can you come up with a name of an organisation or individual which could be a useful specific term in searching for each of the following?

horse racing the royal family relativity theory college courses

There are many related terms which apply to each of these. Here are the examples which we thought of:

Shergar, British Horse Racing Board

The name of any member of the royal family, such as the Prince of Wales

Albert Einstein

The name of your local college

Note that the previous three techniques depend both on your ability to interpret the client’s description and on your own general knowledge. With experience and in discussion with knowledgeable colleagues, your skills will increase.

Ambiguity
You should also keep in mind that some words are ambiguous. China can mean a country in the Far East or pottery products. The English language is particularly rich in such ambiguities. In the reference interview you will have clarified the meaning of any such ambiguous words. Now at the search stage, you should either use a non-ambiguous synonym (if one exists) or add an additional search term to remove the ambiguity.

Some simple examples are:

Cycle – is it the bicycle or a rotation? Yarn – could mean thread or a tall story. Kids – could lead to children or young goats.

Structuring an Internet search
As an information professional, you need to know all the shortcuts to information that client’s request. This means more than just typing search terms into Google!

Structuring the search involves the choice of different search engines, metacrawlers, directories and portals or, where you are already familiar with appropriate websites and their content, direct interrogation of these.

In order to search effectively on the Internet, you need to be familiar with the different types of websites used to search for information. Three general types are the search engine, the metacrawler and the directory. Each operates and is used in a different way, although several sites incorporate more than one type. For example the Google site consists of both a search engine and a directory.

Search Engines
A search engine is a website that allows you to input words representing your search terms and uses these to come up with a list of websites which should be relevant to your search. Repeating the same search using different search engines may lead to different results due to the way in which the various search engines search the web and order the sites found. You should have experience of a selection of search engines to understand their similarities and differences. It can be illustrative to make identical searches on a number of search engines and observe the different results.

There are many different search engine sites. It is important to have a grasp of a few of the most important sites, i.e.: those that lead quickly to useful information. This can be because they specialise in a particular sector are well funded and thus comprehensive. (Such sites are popular and so command large fees for their advertising services.)

ACTIVITY 3.2

Start by familiarising yourself with some of the popular search engines which will be important in your information searching. Go to each search engine listed below and try out the search term British planes. Do not bother to use capital letters in the search terms as the search engines do not really take them into account.

Note down what you find in the layout and types of information displayed.

You will find four rather different results. Even if the same results were displayed (which is unlikely given the slightly vague search term), each search engine presents the information in a different manner.

Differences between search engines
Google and Yahoo are somewhat similar with a simple list but Google presents Wikipedia pages and news near the top.

Ask Jeeves starts off with a list of commercial sites, all wanting to do business with you and only lower down shows you ‘real’ results. But in its favour, there is a list of related searches down the right hand side.

Clusty is at first similar with a list of results and a few advertisements but there is a very useful feature in that down the left hand side, it clusters the results in categories which it has discerned.

ACTIVITY 3.3

Try Clusty out with the search term organ and you will see the value of the category feature. Because organ is ambiguous as a search term, Clusty very neatly categorises its results into organ as a musical instrument and parts of the body. You can see that in this way Clusty can lead you to a set of results more focused that the other three search engines.

Of course none of these search engines is perfect and it would unwise to rank one above another.

Compound queries
Note that our search terms consisted of two words, British and planes. When you look down the results at all four websites, you will see that only sometimes are the two words adjacent and that some of the results only have one of the words present. Most search engines have the convention that to indicate the compound term the words should be in quotes i.e.: “British planes”.

ACTIVITY 3.4

Try this out with Jersey cows. Enter the two words with and without quotes and compare your results.

Try to get as much experience as you can in using different search engines. You will learn that although using only Google, say, will give you lots of results, the use of a few different engines may give you a better overview of the range of information available for any chosen search topic.

How search engines work
It is helpful to know a little about how search engines work. In simple terms, they search the Internet and look at the websites and their contents. They index the information they find on the site and in the metadata descriptions placed on each site by its creator. This information is used to lead from your search terms to the results. Of course each search engine uses its own particular methods. You can find out more about this either by doing a search or looking for information on the actual search engines.

This matching does have its pitfalls and if using ambiguous search terms you may get at best many useless results and at worst offensive ones.

Metacrawlers
Based on the maxim that more is better, Metacrawlers apply your search terms to several search engines simultaneously. Metacrawlers come in many forms and are sometimes described as meta search engines.

ACTIVITY 3.4

Familiarise yourself with some of the popular metacrawlers which you can use in your information searching:

Go to each metacrawler listed below and try out the search term British planes.

 * Dogpile at http://www.dogpile.co.uk/
 * Surfwax at http://www.surfwax.com/
 * Mamma at http://www.mamma.com/
 * Ixquick at http://www.ixquick.com/eng/

Note down what you find in the layout and types of information displayed.

Again there are different results and some very different layouts.

One major reason for using metacrawlers rather than individual search engines is that you hope to get a good spread of the best information. We would suggest that this works best early in a search to get and idea of the breadth of the information available.

Using a metacrawler also saves you having to visit each of the individual search engines.

Web directories
Unlike search engines, web directories do not search for you but are arranged as an alphabetically ordered index to the web, developing into a tree structure of levels of sub-categories. This is somewhat similar to the subject index in a print encyclopedia.

Directories can be very useful in allowing you to home in on the general area of a reference search. However there are countless directory sites, many of which are poorly maintained. Poor maintenance manifests itself with broken links or links to inappropriate material. You should make yourself familiar with the good examples of directories and we will examine some of these now.

General purpose directory sites are provided by many search engines: Google and Yahoo are examples. Most confusingly they show both the categories which you can descend and a search facility which looks like the web search but is in fact used to search the categories.

ACTIVITY 3.5

Examine some of the general purpose web directories which you can use in your information searching:

Go to each directory listed below and try to look for information on flower arranging:

 * Yahoo at http://dir.yahoo.com/
 * Open directory at http://dmoz.org/

Differences between directories and search engines
One key difference between the directory and the search engine is that the entries in the directory should be compiled ‘by hand’ and not through automated searching. This may be seen as an advantage if you consider that a human is better at categorising the sites i.e. spurious sites may be eliminated.

We feel that the really useful directories are the more focused relating to environmental information. You can also appreciate that browsing through the tree structure of the directory can be time-consuming and will not automatically lead to a result.

ACTIVITY 3.6

There is a tremendous amount of information available at http://searchenginewatch.com/ covering every conceivable aspect of information providing websites.

Have a look at this website for further tips.

An alternative approach is the use of Portals.

Using portals
A portal is, at its most general, a website which offers grouped links leading to information. General purpose portals, such as www.msn.co.uk or www.yahoo.com, are often used as home pages by users and have links to life style sites. These sorts of general portals are rarely of use in answering information enquiries.

Some more specialised portals are tailored to be used say, to provide a child friendly web experience (e.g.: http://home.disney.co.uk/), as they give relative safety from inappropriate material.

Other specialised portals focus on particular topic areas and it is these which can save you time in answering reference enquiries.

ACTIVITY 3.7

Familiarise yourself with some of the portals which you can use in your information searching. Go to each portal listed below and get a feel for the information you could access through it.

 * DirectGov at http://www.direct.gov.uk/Homepage/fs/en
 * Wine.Com at http://www.wine.com/
 * Visit Scotland at http://www.visitscotland.com/
 * Irish Abroad at http://www.irishabroad.com/
 * Connects at http://www.connects.org.uk/

There are thousands of portals. With experience you will get to know a number of useful ones for sourcing specific information.

Using bibliographic databases
Bibliographic databases permit the retrieval of information in a variety of formats and media. Some of these are commercial subscription services, e.g.: www.booksinprint.com. You must be aware which databases your library subscribes to. If you do not know this already, check it out now.

Other bibliographic databases which are free of charge include the catalogues of major libraries – such as the British Library’s catalogues containing over 12 million books, serials, printed music and maps. University libraries usually have online catalogue access, as do public libraries. Booksellers’ databases can also be useful sources of online bibliographic information.

ACTIVITY 3.8

Familiarise yourself with some of the bibliographic databases which you might use in your information searching: Go to each site listed below and get a feel for the information you could access through it.

 * British Library at http://www.bl.uk/
 * Cardiff University Library at http://library.cf.ac.uk/
 * Blackwell’s at http://www.blackwell.co.uk/

Frequently-used websites
It is useful to acquaint yourself with sites of major organisations which hold information relating to commonly asked enquiries. Examples are government departments, your own local authority, major voluntary organisations and organisations of local interest.

ACTIVITY 3.9

Familiarise yourself with some websites which will be important sources of information for you:

Locate the Government’s Home Office website and find the telephone number for General Enquiries Locate the website for your local authority and find a list of the local councillors Locate the website for the UK Citizens Advice Bureau and find the location of your local bureau. Locate the website for your nearest airport and find a list of destinations flown to.

Now expand on this by thinking of other likely sources of specialised information and check out these websites for yourself.

Internal searches
As well as using search terms in search engines, you should notice that you can conduct a search within a website using the internal search facility provided by the site. A good example is the search facility within www.scottish.parliament.uk which permits searching by subject terms within specific areas of the site and for specified types of documents. This site has both simple and advanced search facilities. Use the Advanced Search facility to find debates in the chamber which relate to apprenticeships.

Website suffixes
When you are looking at websites, it is useful have an understanding of implications of the common suffixes used in the addresses for websites (called URLs). Some suffixes give a clue about the nature of the organisation which owns the website. Note, however, that for some suffixes there is no absolute fixed rule for their use. Thus you would find that gov.uk always indicates a local or national government site in the UK. By contrast, although .org suggests a non profit-making organisation, there is no guarantee that this applies to every .org website.

Here is a list of common organisational suffixes and their meanings.

 * .ac		Academic
 * .biz 		Business
 * .co		Commercial
 * .com 		Commercial
 * .edu 		Educational
 * .gov 		Local or National Government
 * .int 		International
 * .net 		Network
 * .org 		Non profit making

Geographical suffixes
There are also geographical suffixes with .uk for the United Kingdom and .ie for the Republic of Ireland. The United States is the only country which does not use a suffix. The .us suffix exists, but is seldom seen.

ACTIVITY 3.10

Go to https://www.norid.no/en/om-domenenavn/domreg/ or another similar site and find the suffixes for Internet sites for the following countries:

 * Australia
 * Canada
 * France
 * Germany
 * India
 * Pakistan

Validity of information
Information found on the Internet can sometimes be problematic. It is always important for the information professional to validate information found during a search, whether this results from printed or electronic sources. However, the information found in reference books and other printed materials in public libraries has usually undergone a rigorous selection process. Thus some of the validation of information has already taken place through the selection process.

This is not the case with Internet sites. Individuals or organisations can, at almost negligible cost, upload information to websites which are then accessible throughout the World. Such sites may present information which is out of date, biased to one point of view or just plainly wrong. So all information found on the Internet must be critically evaluated. This is an important role for the information professional. Non-specialists are less likely to query the information found on the Internet – perhaps they assume that it has been vetted in some way, just like the reference books in our libraries.

There are three main criteria for validating information: reliability, accuracy and currency.

Reliability
There are a number of criteria which can be used to give you confidence in the reliability of the information on a website.

Before proceeding, list what you think are the criteria for establishing the reliability of a website.

Reliability criteria
We think that the following three points are very important:

 * the expertise and reputation of those connected with the website
 * evidence of lack of bias
 * evidence of equal emphasis towards all aspects of the search topic

Expertise and reputation
If you can see that the website is supported by a reputable organisation or contributed to by a person with known expertise then it is reasonable to accept the website as being reliable. Examples would be where a website giving medical advice was run by a government department or a well respected charity e.g. NHS direct at http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ or Cancer Research UK at http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/

Another more trivial example is that you would expect to find reliable recipes at Delia Smith’s website http://www.deliaonline.com/

Lack of bias
Individuals can be biased in their opinions. Even well known experts may represent only one aspect of a topic.

Many websites by their very nature present information from only one viewpoint and are thus biased. While such information need not necessarily be excluded from the results presented to the client, you must indicate any identified bias and, if possible, provide information from other sources which present opposing points of view. This is particularly important when the client is seeking information on potentially contentious matters such as politics, religion, race or issues related to pressure groups.

ACTIVITY 4.1

As an exercise in looking for bias in websites, search for a pair of websites giving opposing points of view on the following topics.

 * keeping a monkey as a house pet
 * the need for the UK Monarchy
 * the greenness of nuclear fuel
 * the usefulness of homeopathy

Opposing views
The following example sites were available at the time of the latest review of this section.

 * Opposing views on keeping a monkey as a house pet can be found at Pet Assure https://www.petassure.com/maxscorner/can-monkeys-make-good-pets/  and at http://www.aspca.org/adopt/adoption-tips/exotic-animals-pets the website of American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals .
 * Opposing views on the need for the UK Monarchy can be found at the official UK Monarchy site at http://www.royal.gov.uk and a Marxist perspective at http://www.marxist.org.uk/
 * Opposing views on the greenness of nuclear fuel can be found at the Greenpeace website http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/ and that of the World Nuclear Association http://www.world-nuclear.org/
 * Opposing views on the usefulness of homeopathy at the site of the British Homeopathic Association at http://www.trusthomeopathy.org/  and the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF) Position Paper on Homeopathy found at http://www.ncahf.org/pp/homeop.html

Although the exercise and the results may seem a little trivial, it is useful. The problem when you are faced with queries about these sort of contentious issues is that you will initially retrieve a site as a result of your information search which gives only one side of the case. You must then search for the opposite, just as you have done here.

Equal emphasis
Emphasis differs from bias in that it is omission of information rather than deliberate over-statement of one point of view. For example, US sites may devote little space to British developments. Another pertinent example in UK public libraries is that sites for UK government departments may include information only for England on devolved issues.

You should be aware that emphasis can be more difficult to detect than bias. A solution is to apply the technique of cross checking with other sites on the same topic.

ACTIVITY 4.2

Look at the government website for the Department for Education https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education. Education is a devolved responsibility and thus varies considerably between the four UK nations. Much of the information on the DfES website applies only to England and sometimes Wales.

Compare the information about literacy strategy in schools with that given on:

 * http://www.deni.gov.uk  	Department of Education Northern Ireland
 * http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/education	Scottish Government Education and Training
 * http://www.learning.wales.gov.uk 	Welsh Assembly Government Education and Skills

Accuracy
When you are looking for factual information you can usually assume that a reliable site based on the points above will attempt to provide correct data. However, mistakes can be made and you should cross check data using more than one reliable site wherever possible.

Currency
In using the Internet you often come across websites which are seriously out of date. In fact some of them are actually abandoned and will never be updated again. When you use websites in your information searching, you must make sure that the information is current. Of course with a reference book you can look at the publication date. However for websites it is not just so easy.

Before proceeding, list some points you could look for on a website to establish its currency.

Establishing currency
We can think of a few possible ways of establishing the currency of a website. Obviously they depend on finding date information. This can be explicit:

 * You can check the “Last revised” date on a website. This is usually found on the first screen. Note that this may only indicate the last time a change was made to a particular part of the website and that it does not imply that all the content was updated on that date.
 * You can look to see how recent are the publication dates of the documents referred to on the site
 * You can look out for dates quoted within text and make an estimate of currency
 * You might find a “Forthcoming events” list where all dates should be in the future, or in the very recent past.

In the absence of any explicit date information you may need to look at Indirect methods of establishing currency

Indirect methods of establishing currency
If there are no actual dates mentioned, you will need to look for more subtle indications that the site is regularly updated.

 * You can look for regulations or laws mentioned in the site and find their dates of introduction.
 * You can look for the names of institutions or Government departments. These do change name and can be used to give a date range.
 * You can look for the names of personalities involved in the topic which can show currency.
 * Finally you can simply look for reference to recent news items which will date the site’s information.

ACTIVITY 4.3

Look at http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/littlebritain/  This is a reputable site and it clearly states whether the site has been recently updated.

Measuring the success of a search
At the start of the enquiry process, during the reference interview you should have determined clearly the client’s requirements. At the end of the enquiry process you must review the results of the search against these requirements in order to check that the search has been fully successful.

In some cases you may not be able to fully satisfy the client’s requirements. If this happens, the reasons for this must be explained to the client e.g.: information does not exist in the format specified. You should propose some alternatives if these are possible.

There are three main criteria, sufficiency, format and language.

Sufficiency
Is there enough information or too much? If it is a straightforward fact being sought then you should have no difficulty here. However for a more complex search you must make sure that you have not overdone the amount of data retrieved to prevent swamping the client and if necessary trim it a bit. Conversely you must check that you have supplied enough information. If the client suggests that more would be appreciated, you can indicate tactfully that you have provided what was asked for but offer to search further if required.

Format
Make sure that the client’s requests for particular formats, such as text, print-out, e-mailed results, audio or video have been met with.

Language
You should make sure that the client’s requests for information in a particular language have been followed.

Structuring and saving of search results
The raw data should be presented in a structured way which facilitates understanding by the client. In particular, it is important for the client to be informed of the source(s) of the information found.

For simple searches, the result is likely just to be a short statement of fact. Here all that is required is that the information is presented clearly and unambiguously. However simple the information, we do recommended that it is given to the client in writing and that you keep a copy. That way there can be no argument later about the results. And having a written record means that the client does not have to depend on their memory to recall the information.

For searches which result in a considerable amount of information, you should present the results in some sort of logical order. Different orders suit different types of enquiry.

Ordering results
You might adopt one or a combination of:

 * Following the progress of the search – “First I looked at the Food Standards Agency site and this told me….., then I moved on to the Association of Farmers Markets where I found…. etc.
 * Geographical order – grouping information from a country together
 * Chronological order – to show how a topic developed
 * Alphabetical order – if the result of the search is a list of references
 * By point of view – information on one side of the argument, then the opposing side.

These are only some possibilities and you should not feel compelled to choose one of these. The important thing is that your structure for presenting the information suits the topic and is helpful to the client.

Bibliographic references
If the results of your search include bibliographic references, these should be quoted in a consistent and accepted style. You can find advice on this on the websites of most universities. A good example is Anglia Ruskin University http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/harvard.htm or you could try the University of Warwick at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/main/help/guidespublications/bib_cit/

It is important to realise that your search and its results represent useful work, which does not simply end when the results are handed over to the client. We can think of two straightforward cases where reference will be made to your work in the future.

Before proceeding write down two possible reasons for archiving searches for future use.

Archiving searches
Ignoring the possibility that the first client loses the data and wants another copy of it (this can happen!), the most likely scenario is that another client comes into the library and asks the very same query. Here, if you have stored the enquiry information properly, you can simply go to the search and produce a copy of the results.

In this case, the search results should be archived in such a way that the search can be retrieved by appropriate key terms. These will be subject key words.

Ideally the library should have a formal system for recording the results of frequently asked questions. You should be aware if your library service does this and, if so, make sure that you know how to add your information search results to this.

Frequently asked questions
One good example of a library database of frequently asked questions is Edinburgh University’s “Previously AnsweRed Questions – PARQs”.

ACTIVITY 4.4

Examine Edinburgh University’s “Previously AnsweRed Questions – PARQs” site on http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/faqs/parqs.shtml and find the answer to the question “How much did the Forth Bridge cost?”

We think you will agree that this facility is very easy to use. Note how, in addition to answering the questions, the site points the enquirer to further sources of information by means of hyperlinks.

If your library service does not have a formal service-wide system like this, you should consider setting up a simple version for yourself and colleagues at your service point. This is relatively simple to do using a database package available in your library.

Updating data
Another situation where you may wish to revisit your search is where the same client reappears and wants you to repeat the enquiry at a later point in order to update the data or include new developments which have taken place since the original search was undertaken.

In this case it is important to save not just the search results but also the search strategy. You will need to repeat the strategy in order to update the information found the first time.

You may find that certain enquiries have a habit of repeating at the same time each year. An example would be where pupils always undertake a school project on a particular topic at the beginning of each academic year. You know that every September a group of 12 year olds will descend on your library desperately seeking information on young people and drugs in the locality. In this case, you can even prepare yourself in advance by repeating your search before the question is posed, so that you are prepared to assist the young people with their information needs.


text:
Nintendo Wars/Game Boy Wars 3

Unit Movement Types

 * Roads, Bridges, and all non-ruined buildings have a Movement Cost of 1 for any allied land or air unit. Harbors also be traversed by any sea unit at a Movement cost of 1.
 * If a Lander is on a Shoal, then any allied unit besides ships (except Landers), can cross the Shoal at a Movement Cost of 1 instead.
 * Sea units can't cross any ruined properties except for ruined Harbors at a Movement Cost of 1 each.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Nintendo Wars/Game Boy Wars 3


text:
Talk:XML - Managing Data Exchange/XSLT and Style Sheets

Revisions suggested by Benjamin Trice

 * The name of this chapter is Stylesheets from the main chapter list, but it is listed as XSL at the top of the page upon entering the chapter. Making hese items the same would help avoid confusion over which chapter a user is currently reading.

 * When discussing line numbers from lines of code, the line numbers need to be listed to the left of the code.

 * Under the XML to XML section, the sentence, "These are copya nd copy-of," needs to be fixed.

 * In the Templates section, the sentence, "This allows you to process a node more once," nees to be fixed.

 * Under the sorting section, the separation of those lines of code is confusing to look at. It should be represented like the other lines of code and include its sample output after the code.

 * Under Parameters and Values, fix the separated code into one solid section.

'''No Answers are given for the Exercises. Future classes should answer them and add them to the wiki book'''

--- Editorial Board Revisions - Viji

some minor changes:

(2) what does XSLFO stand for

(3) "one for a Unix man page" probably should be 'main'
 * Actually, it refers to Unix man pages. I changed it to "manual page" to be less ambiguous. --Jarkko Piiroinen 06:37, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

(4) eliminate the references to the code using line numbers - do not put line numbers in the code they dont match up or if incorporated directly they dont allow the user to copy and paste into an editor easily - you can copy and paste the code refered to here or just make it clear what you are refering to, by now people should be accustomed to finding tags

(5) "This means that all elements must have a start-tag" - I think it means to say "an end tag"

(7) the headline "i the numeric value to be formatted", is the " i " extraneous? and what is going on with * numbers hanging out there by itself and * patterns under this heading (something seems awry here)

(8) change examples to fit with the tourguide model - especially the CD collection example is straight from W3Schools, even that weird green color

(9) after fixing the parameter section code into one solid code, then describe each part - reference the code in the explanation (can use the code frags to reference)

Remember to move the exercises to another link and link to answers - refer to the single entity chapter for the format.

major changes

Part 1: XML Fundamentals
 * sections:

Relational Data Models

Introduction to XML

A single entity

The one-to-many relationship

The one-to-one relationship

The many-to-many relationship

Recursive relationships

Data schemas

Namespace

Stylesheets

Introduction to Stylesheets

XHTML

CSS

XSL - will be organized into sections

XPath

XLink

XSL Reference tables

 * the XSL chapter can be organized into sections and we can coordinate the division of sections.

 * you can use the resources of your interface architect group to help you

 * you should consider joining the editorial board in charge of the stylesheet section

be a lot of rearranging, consolidating, organizing, and especially reformatting code.
 * you can give your presentation on the date you are scheduled to present, but, you and your interface team will have until April 15th to completely edit the Stylesheet section --- I think there will

 * We can work on the new stylesheet section at: contents page => chapter stylesheets => stylesheet section, so that students have the original material in its unedited form to refer to.

Thank You Ben! I look forward to working with you on the Editorial Board!

post revision comments
viji

 * I don't like using line numbers to refer to parts of code examples - it just forces the reader to count lines; I would rather see the code copied and pasted then commented on. what do you think

!=, <, etc.) - could we check to make sure that these are incorporated?
 * the XSL material removed from chapters 3 thru 6 were not all incorporated such as: regex, operator (=,


text:
Applications of ICT in Libraries/Diploma ICTL

The Advanced Certificate and the Advanced Diploma in Applications of ICT in Libraries were developed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and are validated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)

-CHANGES TO THE QUALIFICATION---

The Certificate and Diploma have been superseded by the Professional Development Award in Applications of ICT in Libraries at levels 7 and 8 (English and Welsh levels 4 and 5). They consist of much the same content as the certificate and diploma but the PDAs include two new units:

 * Digital Culture: Online Communication: In this unit you will focus on the “new literacies” created by digital technologies. You will consider Web 2.0 tools, including social networks, online publishing, online collaboration and virtual worlds.
 * Digital Culture: Online Collaboration: This unit considers the sociology and operation of virtual communities. You will discuss the uses of Web 2.0 and online collaboration tools within your workplace.
 * Digital Culture: Online Collaboration: This unit considers the sociology and operation of virtual communities. You will discuss the uses of Web 2.0 and online collaboration tools within your workplace.

To achieve the level 7 award you must complete three mandatory units:

⋅Locating Information on Behalf of Clients ⋅Using ICT in Library Practice & Professional Development ⋅Supporting Clients in the safe & Legal use of ICT

and one of:

⋅Supporting Reader Development ⋅Digital Culture: Online Communication

-

What are these qualifications?
These qualifications are based on the training already carried out as during the People’s Network programme. They have been developed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and are accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The level of the qualifications is roughly equivalent to a UK Higher National Certificate or Diploma (HNC/HND), a US Associate Degree or years 1 and 2 of a UK or US undergraduate degree. Credit for approximately one year of study may be transferable to other academic programmes.

The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), SLIC, CyMAL (the Welsh body) and DCAL (the Northern Ireland department) supported the development of the qualifications for use throughout the UK. SQA is currently exploring accreditation with the QCA (Qualifications & Curriculum Authority) and articulation into higher education. The qualifications have been reviewed by content advisers from across the UK in order to balance any variation in the context of library service delivery and the learning materials contain UK-wide examples of best practice.

Who are they for?
These qualifications are appropriate to library staff in any sector: public libraries, higher education, further education, schools, health libraries, national libraries etc. They are suitable for experienced staff (by showing how ICT can used in traditional library work)and they are also suitable for new entrants to the profession. They may also be of interest to English-speaking library staff in other countries.

Candidates would normally be expected to have reached a reasonable level of general education, for example A-Level or SCE Higher and possess reasonable ICT skills, such as PC Passport or ECDL.

What is the content?
The Level 7 in Applications of ICT in Libraries consists of six 8 credit units, each roughly equivalent to 80 hours of study, as follows:

Mandatory units:

 * Locating information on behalf of clients Applications of ICT in Libraries/Locating Information
 * Using ICT in professional practice Applications of ICT in Libraries/Using ICT in Professional Practice
 * Supporting clients in the safe and legal use of ICT Applications of ICT in Libraries/Safe and Legal Use of ICT

Optional Units (learners undertake one of these units):

 * Supporting reader development Applications of ICT in Libraries/Supporting Reader Development
 * Supporting client learning Applications of ICT in Libraries/Supporting Client Learning
 * Digital Culture: digital communication

The Level 8 in Applications of ICT in Libraries includes three 16 credit units (160 hours of study) and one 8 credit unit (80 hours of study):

Optional Units (learners undertake one of these units):

(candidates must choose one of these)
 * Net Navigator Applications of ICT in Libraries/Net Navigator
 * Educator Applications of ICT in Libraries/Educator

Mandatory units:

 * Graded Unit – Reflective Project Applications of ICT in Libraries/Graded Unit Project
 * Digital Culture: digital collaboration

Summaries of the unit content can be found later in this document.

What support material is available?
A wide range of support material is available, including top-up learning material, assessment tools and electronic log-books to record assignments for authentication in the workplace. The top-up learning material is available in Wikibook format.

How are they assessed?
Almost all of the assessment is of a practical nature and involves the completion of logbooks relating to workplace activities, essays and reports. Most assessments can be submitted online.

What are the benefits?
There are a number of benefits for individual and employers in supporting this development. Staff will have the chance to have their People’s Network learning accredited, improve their qualifications, gain academic credits for transfer into other courses or improve their promotion prospects. From the employer's perspective, the qualifications will contribute towards workforce development and meeting corporate quality agendas such as Investors in People and Charter Mark.

Applications of ICT in Libraries: Unit Summaries
You can obtain the complete unit specification by following the link after the title.

Locating information on behalf of clients
The purpose of this unit is to guide candidates to work logically through the steps of a reference enquiry, typical for a public library, using Internet resources.

 * 1) Define the precise nature of the enquiry in conjunction with the client.
 * 2) Create a search strategy to fully satisfy the client's enquiry.
 * 3) Evaluate the results of the search in terms of validity of information found and its appropriateness in meeting the client's needs.

Supporting reader development
The purpose of this unit is to develop skills in public library staff required to use online resources in order to support clients in the development of their reading.

 * 1) Demonstrate an understanding of reader development.
 * 2) Identify, evaluate and use a range of online resources that promote reading to adult clients.
 * 3) Identify, evaluate and use a range of online resources that promote reading to younger clients.
 * 4) Identify, evaluate and use a range of online resources that promote reading to clients with special needs or with specific language requirements.

Supporting client learning
The purpose of this unit is to develop skills in public library staff required to support clients in their selection and use of ICT-based learning packages within the library.

 * 1) Profile client in terms of ICT competence and learning goals.
 * 2) Select a range ICT-based package(s) to support this learning.
 * 3) Provide appropriate ICT support to the client in the use of their chosen learning package(s).

Using ICT in professional practice
The purpose of this unit is to develop skills in public library staff required to use ICT in support of professional practice.

 * 1) Use an automated library management system proficiently.
 * 2) Use and evaluate online selection tools.
 * 3) Use ICT in continuing professional development, to join in professional discussions and to improve own professional practice.

Supporting clients in the safe and legal use of ICT
The purpose of this unit is to develop skills in public library staff required to support clients so that they can use ICT safely for a range of purposes and within the current legislative framework.

 * 1) Demonstrate safe practice relating to the use of ICT for communication.
 * 2) Demonstrate ways in which ICT can support clients with special needs or with specific language requirements.
 * 3) Demonstrate awareness of legislation relating to the use of ICT for storage, manipulation and access of information.
 * 4) Demonstrate awareness of Freedom of Information legislation and information access issues.

Digital Culture: Online Communication
This unit focuses on using social media for communication purposes. It supports developing new digital literacies and using these skills to manage information effectively.

 * 1) Examines communication using social media and collaborative documents
 * 2) Explores using online publishing tools to support library services and continuing professional development
 * 3) Uses new technologies to reflect on the information society

Carrying Out the Educator Role
The purpose of this unit is to develop skills in design and delivery of training on ICT-related topics.

 * 1) Establish ICT training needs for individuals and groups.
 * 2) Select delivery approach which takes account of learner's preferred learning style and is appropriate for learning content.
 * 3) Design learning materials and programmes on ICT-related topics.
 * 4) Utilise appropriate skills to support individuals and groups in their use of learning materials and programmes on ICT related topics
 * 5) Evaluate and revise learning materials and programmes on ICT-related topics.

Integrative Unit (Project)
This Integrative Unit is designed to provide evidence that the candidate has integrated the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the programme into his/her ongoing professional practice.

 * 1) Review the programme to identify key areas of learning.
 * 2) Demonstrate the incorporation of key areas into ongoing professional practice.
 * 3) Formulate an approach to continuing professional development in key areas.

Certification
Anyone wishing to be certified for the Diploma or Advanced Diploma must enrol as a student at one of the centres approved by SQA to offer the programmes. Centres may offer the programmes by different means, e.g.: full-time or part time, presencial, distance learning etc.


text:
Applications of ICT in Libraries/Advanced Diploma ICTL

The Advanced Certificate and the Advanced Diploma in Applications of ICT in Libraries were developed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and are validated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)

CHANGES TO THE QUALIFICATION--- The Advanced Diploma has been superseded by the Professional Development Award in Applications of ICT in Libraries at level 8 (English and Welsh level 5). It consist of much the same content as the Advanced Diploma but the PDA includes a new unit:

Digital Culture: Online Collaboration: This unit considers the sociology and operation of virtual communities. You will discuss the uses of Web 2.0 and online collaboration tools within your workplace.

To achieve the level 8 award you must complete the level 7 award plus two mandatory units:

- Digital Culture: Online Collaboration and - Reflective Practice unit

and one of either

- Carrying out the Net Navigator Role or - Carrying out the Educator Role

What are these qualifications?
These qualifications are based on the training already carried out as during the People’s Network programme. They have been developed by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and are accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The level of the qualifications is roughly equivalent to a UK Higher National Certificate or Diploma (HNC/HND), a US Associate Degree or years 1 and 2 of a UK or US undergraduate degree. Credit for approximately one year of study may be transferable to other academic programmes.

The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), SLIC, CyMAL (the Welsh body) and DCAL (the Northern Ireland department) supported the development of the qualifications for use throughout the UK. SQA is currently exploring accreditation with the QCA (Qualifications & Curriculum Authority) and articulation into higher education. The qualifications have been reviewed by content advisers from across the UK in order to balance any variation in the context of library service delivery and the learning materials contain UK-wide examples of best practice.

Who are they for?
These qualifications will permit library staff who have already. undergone the People’s Network training to obtain accreditation, but they are also suitable for new entrants to the profession. The main target group is staff working in the UK public library service, but the qualifications are also likely to be of interest to staff in other library services, particularly school libraries. They may also be of interest to English-speaking library staff in other countries.

Candidates would normally be expected to have reached a reasonable level of general education, for example A-Level or SCE Higher and possess reasonable ICT skills, such as PC Passport or ECDL.

What is the content?
The Diploma in Applications of ICT in Libraries consists of five single-credit units (each roughly equivalent to 40 hours of study), as follows:

 * Unit 1: Locating information on behalf of clients Applications of ICT in Libraries/Locating Information
 * Unit 2: Supporting reader development Applications of ICT in Libraries/Supporting Reader Development
 * Unit 3: Supporting client learning Applications of ICT in Libraries/Supporting Client Learning
 * Unit 4: Using ICT in professional practice Applications of ICT in Libraries/Using ICT in Professional Practice
 * Unit 5: Supporting clients in the safe and legal use of ICT Applications of ICT in Libraries/Safe and Legal Use of ICT

The Advanced Diploma in Applications of ICT in Libraries includes all of the above units, plus the following double-credit units, each roughly equivalent to 80 hours of study:

(candidates must choose one of these)
 * Unit 6: Net Navigator Applications of ICT in Libraries/Net Navigator
 * Unit 7: Educator Applications of ICT in Libraries/Educator

 * Unit 8: Graded Unit – Project Applications of ICT in Libraries/Graded Unit Project

Summaries of the unit content can be found later in this document.

What support material is available?
A wide range of support material is available, including top-up learning material, assessment tools and electronic log-books to record assignments for authentication in the workplace. The top-up learning material is available in Wikibook format and also in an interactive web-based format at http://www.ictl.org.uk.

The top-up material includes activities, prompts and refresher learning. More than 600 pages of material have already been written and this is being expanded all the time. The top-up learning can be integrated with People's Network, cascade or new training and work-based practice.

How are they assessed?
Almost all of the assessment is of a practical nature and involves the completion of logbooks relating to workplace activities, essays and reports. Most assessments can be submitted online.

How do they relate to professional qualifications?
The qualifications support the CILIP Framework of Qualifications and can be used as evidence towards Certification, Chartership and Revalidation submissions. The Diplomas are based on reflective practice, and electronic logbooks make it easy to build portfolios.

What are the benefits?
There are a number of benefits for individual and employers in supporting this development. Staff will have the chance to have their People’s Network learning accredited, improve their qualifications, gain academic credits for transfer into other courses or improve their promotion prospects. From the employer's perspective, the qualifications will contribute towards workforce development and meeting corporate quality agendas such as Investors in People and Charter Mark.

Applications of ICT in Libraries: Unit Summaries
You can obtain the complete unit specification by following the link after the title.

Unit 1: Locating information on behalf of clients
The purpose of this unit is to guide candidates to work logically through the steps of a reference enquiry, typical for a public library, using internet resources.

 * 1) Define the precise nature of the enquiry in conjunction with the client.
 * 2) Create a search strategy to fully satisfy the client's enquiry.
 * 3) Evaluate the results of the search in terms of validity of information found and its appropriateness in meeting the client's needs.

Unit 2: Supporting reader development
The purpose of this unit is to develop skills in public library staff required to use online resources in order to support clients in the development of their reading.

 * 1) Demonstrate an understanding of reader development.
 * 2) Identify, evaluate and use a range of online resources that promote reading to adult clients.
 * 3) Identify, evaluate and use a range of online resources that promote reading to younger clients.
 * 4) Identify, evaluate and use a range of online resources that promote reading to clients with special needs or with specific language requirements.

Unit 3: Supporting clients learning
The purpose of this unit is to develop skills in public library staff required to support clients in their selection and use of ICT-based learning packages within the library.

 * 1) Profile client in terms of ICT competence and learning goals.
 * 2) Select a range ICT-based package(s) to support this learning.
 * 3) Provide appropriate ICT support to the client in the use of their chosen learning package(s).

Unit 4: Using ICT in professional practice
The purpose of this unit is to develop skills in public library staff required to use ICT in support of professional practice.

 * 1) Use an automated library management system proficiently.
 * 2) Use and evaluate online selection tools.
 * 3) Use ICT in continuing professional development, to join in professional discussions and to improve own professional practice.

Unit 5 Supporting clients in the safe and legal use of ICT
The purpose of this unit is to develop skills in public library staff required to support clients so that they can use ICT safely for a range of purposes and within the current legislative framework.

 * 1) Demonstrate safe practice relating to the use of ICT for communication.
 * 2) Demonstrate ways in which ICT can support clients with special needs or with specific language requirements.
 * 3) Demonstrate awareness of legislation relating to the use of ICT for storage, manipulation and access of information.
 * 4) Demonstrate awareness of Freedom of Information legislation and information access issues.

Unit 6: Carrying Out the Net Navigator Role
The purpose of this unit is to guide candidates to work logically through the steps of a complex reference enquiry, typical for a public library, using a complex search strategy, a wide range of internet resources and current awareness and alerting services.

 * 1) Define the detail of a complex enquiry in conjunction with the client.
 * 2) Demonstrate knowledge of search logic, search engines and features of the internet.
 * 3) Create and implement a complex search strategy.
 * 4) Evaluate websites located in a complex search.
 * 5) Review effectiveness of search strategy.
 * 6) Use ICT to set up current awareness and alerting services.

Unit 7: Carrying Out the Educator Role
The purpose of this unit is to develop skills in design and delivery of training on ICT-related topics.

 * 1) Establish ICT training needs for individuals and groups.
 * 2) Select delivery approach which takes account of learner's preferred learning style and is appropriate for learning content.
 * 3) Design learning materials and programmes on ICT-related topics.
 * 4) Utilise appropriate skills to support individuals and groups in their use of learning materials and programmes on ICT related topics
 * 5) Evaluate and revise learning materials and programmes on ICT-related topics.

Unit 8: Integrative Unit (Project)
This Integrative Unit is designed to provide evidence that the candidate has integrated the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the programme into his/her ongoing professional practice.

 * 1) Review the programme to identify key areas of learning.
 * 2) Demonstrate the incorporation of key areas into ongoing professional practice.
 * 3) Formulate an approach to continuing professional development in key areas.

Digital Culture - Online Collaboration
This unit examines the creation, sociology and operation of virtual communities and explore how individuals can collaborate for a common purpose using social media and online publishing tools.

 * 1) Initiate and facilitate professional discussions using forums
 * 2) Utilising social media for professional and personal networking
 * 3) Co-orinate a group collaborative social media marketing project
 * 4) Plan, edit and produce a group collaborative blog
 * 5) Reflecting on the most appropriate social media strategy for your information service

Certification
Anyone wishing to be certified for the Diploma or Advanced Diploma must enrol as a student at one of the centres approved by SQA to offer the programmes. Centres may offer the programmes by different means, e.g.: full-time or part time, presencial, distance learning etc.

Approved Centres
At present there is only a single approved centre, but this is expected to change and further centres will be added as approval is granted.

Millennium City Academy
Millennium City Academy is an associate college of London Graduate School of Management, a private college located in the heart of London, UK. It offers the ICTL programmes by distance learning. Full details can be obtained from the college's web site http://www.lgsm.ac, or by emailing ictl@lgsm.ac.


text:
Conhistory/Basics

Foreword
"When I tell you this story, remember it may change." - Sherman Alexei, Captivity

When creating a completely original history, many people have a tendency to make either an ideal or a completely un-ideal world or society. One of the first things to realize is that you're working with an entire world. In creating its history, you are permitted to include multiple civilizations, each of which can be classified as ideal, un-ideal, or something in between. Or, you can make a single, unified civilization. Again, this civilization can change with time in whether it was good, bad, or just something else, as could any civilization in the first scenario. The possibilities are endless.

You can base it in earth's history, and make allusions to earth humans being in the far past, almost forgotten (Rene Barjavel's novel The Ice People is a great example of this). Or, it can be totally original. When you start, however, it is usually a good idea to have at least some conceptions of what you want to create, so that you can get a rather decent Conhistory going.

Remember, you may rewrite any part of this at any time, as none of it has to be true: remember also that the way history is told has much to do with who is telling it. Winston Churchill said "History is written by the victors", but the conquered people also have their story to tell.

Be ready to be challenged if you include controversial subjects, such as an idealized world that uses a certain political structure. Well, let us begin constructing your "ConHistory".

Prepare for Writing
It is recommendable to get a notebook if you want to do this by hand. If you will do it on the computer, you may benefit from using multiple files to write separate parts, but you may want to still have them open to gaze over. If you want to make this very long and drawn out, get ready for a lot of writing.

Your Civilization(s) in the Present
You don't need to write this for your Conhistory, but it helps to know where your history will lead up (or down) to in the end. If you skip this, you are being brave in not knowing where your conhistory will lead, or you know how it will lead, if only vaguely. If you have made a conlang of any sort, use things from it to help to shape what this world is now like. Consider politics, economics, sciences, art, and geography. Don't be afraid of verisimilitude in your ideal society, or glimmers of hope in your corrupt society. Don't be afraid to have something in the middle. Consider all that you know you want this to be. You can be as creative as you want here, and you can revise it alongside your Conhistory.

Before your Civilization(s) (Past)
The rest of this wikibook covers most of this information. It is common for a Conhistory to reflect Earth's history, since we know that Earth's history is possible because it happened. You may have ideas about alternative progressions of technology and the like, but it is not a bad idea to start with the people in a small-scale state, being nomadic hunters, or maybe what they were before that. Often, you could include some kind of creation story/myth here, if you are going back that far (Tolkien would say that some kind of creation myth is imperative). Anything goes; you can start in the distant past, or later on in your conhistory, progressing through various ideas and events that lead up to your current society.

title: Conhistory/Basics


text:
Fortran/Fortran overview

Part of the Fortran WikiBook

This section is a quick reference on changing from other languages to Fortran.

Common Mistakes
Listed below are some common mistakes made when using Fortran by users of C or Java:
 * Perhaps the most common mistake when moving from one language to another is to try to make the new language look or act too much like the previous language in use. When switching to Fortran (for whatever reason) consider doing things the Fortran way, rather than as you would in some other language.
 * In Fortran, variables need not be declared. A new variable beginning with  through   (the "in" group) is an  . A variable beginning with some other letter is a  . So, the disadvantage is that a typo could result in a new variable. The advantage is that coding is fast and easy, in that for most cases, no variables need be declared. If you want Fortran to act like declaration required languages, use   at the top of each program, function, and subroutine.
 * Arrays are indexed from 1 to N, not 0 to N−1.
 * Arguments passed to functions and subroutines are passed by reference and not by value. Additionally, languages like C typically push each of their arguments onto the stack. Many (if not most) Fortran implementations build an array of argument addresses, and push the address of that array (only) onto the stack. This uses slightly more storage, but less executed code if you average more than 1 argument. The C-user error occurs when you think you know the addresses of argument references.
 * Note that arguments may need to be declared, and might not, as per the rules above.
 * For fixed form code, the first 6 columns have special meanings, and you can only use the first 72 columns.
 * Trying to use allocation too much. When in Fortran, try to use static allocation of arrays whenever possible.
 * Thinking you know how big a variable is—Here are the rules:  can be any number of bytes.   is at least as big as  .   is at least as big as  .   is at least as big as  . And finally,   is twice as big as  . Typically, the sizes are 1, 4, 4, 8, and 8 bytes, respectively, but don't rely on that if you're writing portable code. A related mistake is thinking that   or   gives you data 4 or 8 bytes wide. The number following the   is a suggestion, not a requirement.

Variables
C / C++ int i; double x[3]; double *y = NULL; y = new double[3]; delete[] y; { 1, 2, 3}; // <- Do the semantics match exactly? Fortran (with two examples of allocation and deallocation—don't use both at once) INTEGER i DOUBLE PRECISION x(3) DOUBLE PRECISION, DIMENSION, ALLOCATABLE :: xx DOUBLE PRECISION, POINTER, DIMENSION :: y => null ALLOCATE(xx(3)) DEALLOCATE(xx) ALLOCATE(y(3))                   ''! memory allocation for pointer - similar syntax to array allocation'' DEALLOCATE(y)                    ''! again similar syntax as for array allocation / deallocation'' (/ 1, 2, 3 /)

Caveat: Fortran's arrays are more flexible than plain C arrays. By default they are indexed from 1 not 0.

They may be declared to be indexed by different means:

REAL, DIMENSION(-2:10) :: A

means you can use A(10) as well as A(-2).

Multidimensional arrays should be declared this way:

REAL A(5,7,10)

You will have 5*7*10 elements from A(1,1,1) to A(5,7,10). Note memory is laid out in a way unique to Fortran. The element in memory following A(1,1,1) is A(2,1,1), and not A(1,1,2).

You can use parts of array this way:

REAL A(10,10) REAL B(3,3)

B(1:3,2:3)=A(4:6,7:8)

will act as

DO i=1,3 DO j=2,3 B(i,j)=A(i+3,j+5) END DO END DO

Which is the same as the archaic but shorter form

DO 1 i=1,3 DO 1 j=2,3 1 B(i,j)=A(i+3,j+5)

Functions & Subroutines
In Fortran, s return a value whereas  s do not. In C/C++ this is simply the distinction between returning a value or returning. In Fortran, the name of the function is assigned to return a value from a function. When calling, a subroutine is called with the  keyword whereas a function is called as in C/C++. When there are no arguments, an empty parenthesis is not needed.

C/C++: int foo(int i, int j) { ...  return 42; } // then later: int x = foo(1, 2); Fortran: INTEGER FUNCTION foo(i, j) ... foo = 42 END C then later: k = foo(1, 2) C/C++: void bar(double j) { ... } void baz { ...  return; // Can return in the middle. ...  return; // Optional for a function returning void. } // then later: bar(42.0); baz; Fortran: SUBROUTINE bar(x) ... RETURN ... END SUBROUTINE baz ... END C then later: CALL bar(42.0) CALL baz

if → if, then, else, end if
C / C++ if (...) { ... } else if ( ... ) { ... } else { ... } Fortran if (...) then ... else if (...) then ... else ... end if

switch → select case, case, end select
C/C++ switch (...) { case ...: ...;  break; // Without "break", control "falls through" to the next case. default: // The "default" case is optional but advisable. ...;  break; // Not necessary for the last case. } Fortran select case(...) case (...) ...   case default ... end select

for → do, end do
C/C++ for (i = 1; i <= 10; i++) { ... } Fortran do i=1,10 ... end do

title: Fortran/Fortran overview


text:
Talk:XML - Managing Data Exchange/Data schemas

When going over the chapter, I noticed it's chock full of info, but a little tough to pay attention to the whole thing. I plan on keeping the bulk of it but simplifying some of the real technical stuff. Also, I plan on putting in some simpler definitions for some of the more important terms such as an "element." as far as the structure goes, it's fine except for some minor details like misnumbering of bulleted points. Finally, i will redo the learning objectives and keep them more focused on more tangible subjects

chad borer speedyb@uga.edu

Revisions by editorial board - Moussa

I think we will all agree on the fact that the chapter is too technical. While trying to write it in a simpler way, also try to had more spacings.

 * Add objectives and banner
 * You should be very careful about putting new definitions: Just keep in my mind to name sources if you are using any; it would be much better to come up with your own – the editorial can review them for correctness.
 * You should we do something about the contents, the titles look very confusing.
 * Get rid of the coloring of xmlns:xsd, targetNamespace, ... just keep it black and bold.

Professor
I think the references to NetBeans should be deleted. This will help to simplify the chapter and make it editor-independent. I agree that the structure is OK. The key is to explain these concepts in simple terms. The original author did quite a good job.

rtw 19:20, 5 Feb 2006 (UTC)

Final comments - Moussa
The new word shoud be in bold without color. The exercises should be a link and also another one for the answers. You can refer to the "Author Guidelines" for more details. I was expecting a bit more changes in the content, the name given in the bullets are not very consistent with what has been done in previous chapters.


text:
Conhistory/Geography and Its Effects

Mountains and Valleys
Mountains form near where tectonic plates collide, this may lead to earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions (or even tsunamis if near sea). Older mountain ranges tend to be eroded, and solitary mountains are usually volcanic. They often limit precipitation in the surrounding area, so deserts nearby are not uncommon. Until technology is developed which allows relatively safe passage through mountainous areas, mountains make for excellent natural defences for early civilizations. Any people who live in these areas and who do not rely on lower altitudes to grow food or keep livestock may be able to survive long periods of time without being invaded by others.

Rivers and Lakes
A few rules to follow concerning rivers is that they always flow downhill and never branch except when near a body of water. Because they nourish the soil around them and provide a method of transportation, settlements will often form around them. Trade can flow easily around rivers and people travel with them leading people further afield.

Climate (And Differences)
Most civilizations flourished on the enhancement of the elements. Arabs found water in the desert, Dutch Land out of marsh and so on. If a civilization lived in several environments it could enhance one and leave the rest uninhabited or enhance many and prosper.

Natural Resources
Civilizations tend to use nearby resources wherever possible: A civilization with access to trees may build wooden houses whereas a civilization near a river uses bricks and writes on clay tablets. Scarce resources have to be obtained by trade or by military means.

The Fertile Crescent
If designing an entire world from the earliest days of civilization or an extremely old nation, thought should be given to where on the planet civilization is likely to evolve first.

Civilization is widely believed to have originated in the Middle East, more specifically in a band of land called the Fertile Crescent. This area encompasses four major rivers. Starting with the Nile River in the west, the Crescent contains the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and finishes with the Indus River in the east. All rivers, when they flood, deposit large amounts of mineral-rich silt on the flood plan, which are excellent areas to grow crops. It is believed that having so many of these highly fertile rivers in a concentrated area, allowed the early inhabitants the opportunity to grow more food per hectare with the same amount of labour that would normally be required. Thus, as fewer people were required to toil the land, labour could diversify and individuals could begin to specialise in other roles, such as warfare, science and medicine.

East and West vs. North and South
It has been said that one of the reasons that Eurasia tended to develop more quickly than the Americas as a whole, was the difference in their shapes. Eurasia mostly had distance going east and west, while the Americas went mostly north and south. When going north and south, there are various climate changes, so people generally don't travel far in those directions within a lifetime of their own accord. When going east and west, people are more prone to traveling great distances because the climate varies less often. Thus, technological and ideological advances are more likely to extend east and west, instead of north and south. Thus, Eurasia was more likely to share its advances. For example, the Maya developed a system of writing that never went south to the Inca, or north to the various areas there. However, writing in Eurasia spread easily after development. Writing, in and of itself, (not unlike computers or the printing press), speeds up technological advances because things can be saved through time verbatim in the written word, as opposed to more questionable oral tradition.

Jared Diamond, in his 1997 book "Guns, Germs and Steel", put forward the theory that while agriculture appeared around the world, it was the amount of animals and crops available for domestication that gave early Eurasians an advantage. In contrast, early Native Americans struggled to develop maize as a viable food. It needed to be planted one-by-one by hand (which is labour-intensive) and is low in nutrients. In Eurasia, however, the inhabitants had wheat and barley which was not only highly nutritious by could be sown by scattering the seeds in a field. This allowed more food to be grown, thus supporting a higher population. Furthermore, grains can be kept for a much longer period than tropical foodstuffs such as bananas. What may also have aided growth in early Europe, Diamond argues, are the similar climates found at different latitudes of the continent. If temperatures and conditions remain the same for the majority of the year, then the same crops can be grown in much wider areas. The domesticity of animals also may have played their part in that while sub-Saharan Africa has primarily wild animals (lions, hippos and elephants for example), the animals of Europe were much easier to tame.

Ocean vs. Land
Obviously, unless you have amphibious creatures and/or vehicles, going over the ocean is not the same as going over the land. Oceans pose interesting military possibilities. If one nation develops an extensive navy, that nation may be able to rule the seas and use it for trade and transportation, whilst limiting the ability of others to do the same without permission. To other nations, the seas now become a limiter. To nations without the ability to construct seafaring vessels, it may become almost impossible to cross the seas. If your race is somehow water-based, the opposite may be true. Either way, it is almost impossible to amass great numbers across a distance in a short time over water without a great ability to transport people. Fishing is also a way of making a living for people. Coastal cities often develop for their ability to transport goods from land to sea quickly. Japan is especially capable of this, for example, because virtually every point in that country is less than two hundred miles from the coast. They also have a very large fishing industry.

title: Conhistory/Geography and Its Effects