Library Website Awards...?

Hi Amanda,
I went to libsite.org and feel the same way you do about
libsuccess.org. I did a search several months ago for
Library Website Awards, but came up emptyhanded.
Does anyone have an inside track to ALA to suggest this...or
....maybe figure out a way to do an online vote through the
Web4Lib Wiki, perhaps categories for Academic, Public,
Special, School Libraries...?
 
Marie Monteagudo
libconsultoptonline.net
mylibraryweb.com
 
 
> Hi,
> 
> I'd like to chime in here as I've been looking around
for a site like
> this recently. I'm working on coming up with ideas to
revamp our
> website, and thought it would be helpful to see what
other 
> libraries are
> doing. I want to see the best of the best library
websites, but 
> findinga list of these has been quite difficult. 
> 
> I've gone through the http://www.libsuccess.org list, and have found
> it's a big mix of great websites and just really
mediocre sites (at
> least in my opinion). I think the reason for this is
that it is 
> a wiki
> and people are just throwing up any old website, which
is one of the
> problems of having a list like this only on a wiki. Is
there a 
> list of
> any actually officially rated or award winning
websites? I 
> found that
> ALA gave its top award to www.aad.org in 2006, and I
really love their
> site, but is that the only award ALA has ever given?
Was there 
> a second
> or a third place? Does any other organization give out
awards or
> honors? 
> 
> I'm really glad to hear about http://libsite.org and will 
> definitely be
> checking it out. It appears to be more of what I'm
looking for than
> just a list of random sites with no explanation of why
someone thinks
> they are good or not.
> 
> Anyway, I'd love to hear more suggestions of resources
if anyone has
> any.
> 
> Amanda Goeke
> Palm Beach County Library System
> 
> -----Original Message-----
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On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 7:32 PM, <libconsultoptonline.net> wrote:

> Does anyone have an inside track to ALA to suggest
this...or ....maybe
> figure out a way to do an online vote through the
Web4Lib Wiki, perhaps
> categories for Academic, Public, Special, School
Libraries...?
>
> That's a wonderful idea! Here's a link to the ALA
Awards Committee page at
the ALA website. There is contact info there and perhaps the
liaison is a
good place to start:

http://www.ala.org/ala/ouras
sociation/governanceb/council/counccommittees/awards.htm


I agree that there are fantastic websites out there for and
by libraries.
Perhaps it would be better not to divide them by library
type. A good
website will stand as a model for designers regardless of
subject matter. It
would be a nice change to see the library community vote and
act as a whole
community on a matter of relevance to all librarians
regardless of where
they work.

Just my 2 cents.

Helen Linda
Eliot D. Pratt Library
Goddard College
Plainfield, VT
-- 
Following the path of least resistance is what makes the
river crooked!
~Utah Phillips
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 7:32 PM, <libconsultoptonline.net> wrote:

> Does anyone have an inside track to ALA to suggest
this...or ....maybe
> figure out a way to do an online vote through the
Web4Lib Wiki, perhaps
> categories for Academic, Public, Special, School
Libraries...?
>
> That's a wonderful idea! Here's a link to the ALA
Awards Committee page at
the ALA website. There is contact info there and perhaps the
liaison is a
good place to start:

http://www.ala.org/ala/ouras
sociation/governanceb/council/counccommittees/awards.htm


I agree that there are fantastic websites out there for and
by libraries.
Perhaps it would be better not to divide them by library
type. A good
website will stand as a model for designers regardless of
subject matter. It
would be a nice change to see the library community vote and
act as a whole
community on a matter of relevance to all librarians
regardless of where
they work.

Just my 2 cents.

Helen Linda
Eliot D. Pratt Library
Goddard College
Plainfield, VT
-- 
Following the path of least resistance is what makes the
river crooked!
~Utah Phillips
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

So, does the "Best" WEB site look pretty or can it
be just hum drum and help 
you find your target much quicker.  Sort sounds like, what
was it? Better 
Flavor : Less Filling debate or something like that 

  Who decides and what qualifies that judge? Maybe select a
site a week and 
asks lists like this, reference lists, distance learning
lists, ILL lists, 
and/or any other related lists to fill out a report card on
each site 
submitted.  But then that is only 52 sites a year. If you
want the Best of 
the Best then you need to look at functionality for the
previously mentioned 
entities (lists) and others like the end user, the patron. 
Not to mention it 
but I will, the man hours or woman hours it would take to
prepare this data 
for review.  Sounds like it could be the Academy Awards of
Virtual Libraries.

Just food for thought.

Thomas


On Monday 25 February 2008 22:37, Helen Linda wrote:
> On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 7:32 PM, <libconsultoptonline.net> wrote:
> > Does anyone have an inside track to ALA to suggest
this...or ....maybe
> > figure out a way to do an online vote through the
Web4Lib Wiki, perhaps
> > categories for Academic, Public, Special, School
Libraries...?
> >
> > That's a wonderful idea! Here's a link to the ALA
Awards Committee page
> > at
>
> the ALA website. There is contact info there and
perhaps the liaison is a
> good place to start:
>
> http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation
/governanceb/council/counccommittees/a
>wards.htm
>
> I agree that there are fantastic websites out there for
and by libraries.
> Perhaps it would be better not to divide them by
library type. A good
> website will stand as a model for designers regardless
of subject matter.
> It would be a nice change to see the library community
vote and act as a
> whole community on a matter of relevance to all
librarians regardless of
> where they work.
>
> Just my 2 cents.
>
> Helen Linda
> Eliot D. Pratt Library
> Goddard College
> Plainfield, VT

-- 
============================================================
========
Thomas McMillan Grant Bennett		Appalachian State University
Operations & Systems Analyst		P O Box 32026
University Library			Boone, North Carolina 28608
(828) 262 6587

"... using OpenOffice.org, and save them back to disk
automatically,
in MS Word format.  They surf the Web, check e-mail, do
instant 
messsaging, view YouTube videos, visit their Facebook pages,
learn 
touch-typing skills and lots more.  Our public library has
been 
offering these Linux public stations for the past three
years."
 - Phil Shapiro Linux Journal January 2008

Library Systems Help Desk: https://www.li
brary.appstate.edu/help/
============================================================
========
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

So, does the "Best" WEB site look pretty or can it
be just hum drum and help 
you find your target much quicker.  Sort sounds like, what
was it? Better 
Flavor : Less Filling debate or something like that 

  Who decides and what qualifies that judge? Maybe select a
site a week and 
asks lists like this, reference lists, distance learning
lists, ILL lists, 
and/or any other related lists to fill out a report card on
each site 
submitted.  But then that is only 52 sites a year. If you
want the Best of 
the Best then you need to look at functionality for the
previously mentioned 
entities (lists) and others like the end user, the patron. 
Not to mention it 
but I will, the man hours or woman hours it would take to
prepare this data 
for review.  Sounds like it could be the Academy Awards of
Virtual Libraries.

Just food for thought.

Thomas


On Monday 25 February 2008 22:37, Helen Linda wrote:
> On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 7:32 PM, <libconsultoptonline.net> wrote:
> > Does anyone have an inside track to ALA to suggest
this...or ....maybe
> > figure out a way to do an online vote through the
Web4Lib Wiki, perhaps
> > categories for Academic, Public, Special, School
Libraries...?
> >
> > That's a wonderful idea! Here's a link to the ALA
Awards Committee page
> > at
>
> the ALA website. There is contact info there and
perhaps the liaison is a
> good place to start:
>
> http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation
/governanceb/council/counccommittees/a
>wards.htm
>
> I agree that there are fantastic websites out there for
and by libraries.
> Perhaps it would be better not to divide them by
library type. A good
> website will stand as a model for designers regardless
of subject matter.
> It would be a nice change to see the library community
vote and act as a
> whole community on a matter of relevance to all
librarians regardless of
> where they work.
>
> Just my 2 cents.
>
> Helen Linda
> Eliot D. Pratt Library
> Goddard College
> Plainfield, VT

-- 
============================================================
========
Thomas McMillan Grant Bennett		Appalachian State University
Operations & Systems Analyst		P O Box 32026
University Library			Boone, North Carolina 28608
(828) 262 6587

"... using OpenOffice.org, and save them back to disk
automatically,
in MS Word format.  They surf the Web, check e-mail, do
instant 
messsaging, view YouTube videos, visit their Facebook pages,
learn 
touch-typing skills and lots more.  Our public library has
been 
offering these Linux public stations for the past three
years."
 - Phil Shapiro Linux Journal January 2008

Library Systems Help Desk: https://www.li
brary.appstate.edu/help/
============================================================
========
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

I'd suggest an overall award structure, but also
awards/categories/tags
for the different types of libraries, since the target
audiences have
some very distinct needs, in some cases.  You wouldn't use
the same
descriptors on an elementary school site as for a graduate
school of
medicine, for example, and the search structure would likely
be
different, as search patterns change. 
-Margaret Hazel
 Eugene, OR
-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounceswebjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounceswebjunction.org] On Behalf Of Helen Linda
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 7:38 PM
To: Web4Lib Listserv
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Library Website Awards...?

On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 7:32 PM, <libconsultoptonline.net> wrote:

> Does anyone have an inside track to ALA to suggest
this...or ....maybe

> figure out a way to do an online vote through the
Web4Lib Wiki, 
> perhaps categories for Academic, Public, Special,
School Libraries...?
>
> That's a wonderful idea! Here's a link to the ALA
Awards Committee 
> page at
the ALA website. There is contact info there and perhaps the
liaison is
a good place to start:

http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/go
vernanceb/council/counccommittee
s/awards.htm

I agree that there are fantastic websites out there for and
by
libraries.
Perhaps it would be better not to divide them by library
type. A good
website will stand as a model for designers regardless of
subject
matter. It would be a nice change to see the library
community vote and
act as a whole community on a matter of relevance to all
librarians
regardless of where they work.

Just my 2 cents.

Helen Linda
Eliot D. Pratt Library
Goddard College
Plainfield, VT
--
Following the path of least resistance is what makes the
river crooked!
~Utah Phillips
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

I think Thomas Bennett says it well..

My own sense is that people wouldn't be putting their
websites on
libsuccess.org or other similar sites unless they thought
the sites were
doing something well. I'm not wild about a silver-platter
approach, "these
are the *real* worthwhile websites"--do we really need
that? Are there truly
objective criteria for Best Library Websites, regardless of
local
circumstances?

When I wrote Public Library Blogs: 252 Examples, I
deliberately removed the
list of "intriguing blogs" and never even
considered a "best public library
blogs" list. I was burned enough when what I regarded
as "a" list of
librarian blogs with broad reach was interpreted as
"the" list--as somehow
being a Best Of.

To my mind, the last thing we need is for every library
website to look like
X (whatever X might be), any more than every library blog
should work like
AADL's. But then, I'm not even wild about posting lots of
pictures of "bad"
library signage, so what do I know?

-walt crawford, speaking entirely on my own behalf--


On Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 8:48 AM, Thomas Bennett
<bennetttmappstate.edu>
wrote:

> So, does the "Best" WEB site look pretty or
can it be just hum drum and
> help
> you find your target much quicker.  Sort sounds like,
what was it? Better
> Flavor : Less Filling debate or something like that

>
>  Who decides and what qualifies that judge? Maybe
select a site a week and
> asks lists like this, reference lists, distance
learning lists, ILL lists,
> and/or any other related lists to fill out a report
card on each site
> submitted.  But then that is only 52 sites a year. If
you want the Best of
> the Best then you need to look at functionality for the
previously
> mentioned
> entities (lists) and others like the end user, the
patron.  Not to mention
> it
> but I will, the man hours or woman hours it would take
to prepare this
> data
> for review.  Sounds like it could be the Academy Awards
of Virtual
> Libraries.
>
> Just food for thought.
>
> Thomas
> --remainder truncated--
>
>
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

I'd suggest an overall award structure, but also
awards/categories/tags
for the different types of libraries, since the target
audiences have
some very distinct needs, in some cases.  You wouldn't use
the same
descriptors on an elementary school site as for a graduate
school of
medicine, for example, and the search structure would likely
be
different, as search patterns change. 
-Margaret Hazel
 Eugene, OR
-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounceswebjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounceswebjunction.org] On Behalf Of Helen Linda
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 7:38 PM
To: Web4Lib Listserv
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Library Website Awards...?

On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 7:32 PM, <libconsultoptonline.net> wrote:

> Does anyone have an inside track to ALA to suggest
this...or ....maybe

> figure out a way to do an online vote through the
Web4Lib Wiki, 
> perhaps categories for Academic, Public, Special,
School Libraries...?
>
> That's a wonderful idea! Here's a link to the ALA
Awards Committee 
> page at
the ALA website. There is contact info there and perhaps the
liaison is
a good place to start:

http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/go
vernanceb/council/counccommittee
s/awards.htm

I agree that there are fantastic websites out there for and
by
libraries.
Perhaps it would be better not to divide them by library
type. A good
website will stand as a model for designers regardless of
subject
matter. It would be a nice change to see the library
community vote and
act as a whole community on a matter of relevance to all
librarians
regardless of where they work.

Just my 2 cents.

Helen Linda
Eliot D. Pratt Library
Goddard College
Plainfield, VT
--
Following the path of least resistance is what makes the
river crooked!
~Utah Phillips
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

I think Thomas Bennett says it well..

My own sense is that people wouldn't be putting their
websites on
libsuccess.org or other similar sites unless they thought
the sites were
doing something well. I'm not wild about a silver-platter
approach, "these
are the *real* worthwhile websites"--do we really need
that? Are there truly
objective criteria for Best Library Websites, regardless of
local
circumstances?

When I wrote Public Library Blogs: 252 Examples, I
deliberately removed the
list of "intriguing blogs" and never even
considered a "best public library
blogs" list. I was burned enough when what I regarded
as "a" list of
librarian blogs with broad reach was interpreted as
"the" list--as somehow
being a Best Of.

To my mind, the last thing we need is for every library
website to look like
X (whatever X might be), any more than every library blog
should work like
AADL's. But then, I'm not even wild about posting lots of
pictures of "bad"
library signage, so what do I know?

-walt crawford, speaking entirely on my own behalf--


On Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 8:48 AM, Thomas Bennett
<bennetttmappstate.edu>
wrote:

> So, does the "Best" WEB site look pretty or
can it be just hum drum and
> help
> you find your target much quicker.  Sort sounds like,
what was it? Better
> Flavor : Less Filling debate or something like that

>
>  Who decides and what qualifies that judge? Maybe
select a site a week and
> asks lists like this, reference lists, distance
learning lists, ILL lists,
> and/or any other related lists to fill out a report
card on each site
> submitted.  But then that is only 52 sites a year. If
you want the Best of
> the Best then you need to look at functionality for the
previously
> mentioned
> entities (lists) and others like the end user, the
patron.  Not to mention
> it
> but I will, the man hours or woman hours it would take
to prepare this
> data
> for review.  Sounds like it could be the Academy Awards
of Virtual
> Libraries.
>
> Just food for thought.
>
> Thomas
> --remainder truncated--
>
>
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

Dear Web4Libbers:

>  I went to libsite.org and feel the same way you do
about libsuccess.org. I did a search several months ago for
Library Website Awards, but came up emptyhanded.
>  Does anyone have an inside track to ALA to suggest
this...or ....maybe figure out a way to do an online vote
through the Web4Lib Wiki, perhaps categories for Academic,
Public, Special, School Libraries...?

Late jumping in here, but some may find this interesting.
NAGWeb, the
National Association of Government Webmasters, has something
called
the Pinnacle Award (see 2007's conference):
h
ttp://www.nagw.org/conference/2007/index.php?tab=4

Its focus is on government Web sites, but it's a similar
concept.
Awards are a happy thing, and it is useful to see some good
working
examples (and honor those people who put the time and effort
into
building them). 

-- 
In peace,

Amy M. Drayer
Web and Systems Librarian
amostromgmail.com
http://www.puzumaki.com
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/