How your library web site can be a community resource
	Compiled by MHLS Web Interest Group. May 29, 2003

What do you want your web site to do?

• Be more than an online business card
• Help your organization reach its goals
• Have a valuable presence that suits the needs of the community

What is your community looking for?

• Information that helps them, enables them and fulfills their needs
• Thirteen library service responses encompass all library services, covering the distinct ways the library serves the public, as per Sandra Nelson's New Planning for Results

Information & links that can go on your library web site to make it a community resource
Note that you should have a Web Site Disclaimer

• Community Referral: Related to services provided by community agencies & organizations
  • Social service agencies in your community
  • United Way listing http://midhudson.org/community/main.htm
  • Adult education opportunities: Local colleges, community adult ed opportunities, BOCES
  • Municipality web site: find yours at http://www.nysegov.com/citguide.cfm?context=citguide&content=munibycounty2
  • Local Building Codes, or location and hours of office where they are available
  • School District web site
  • Listing of support-groups that meet locally
  • Emergency services hotline #'s
  • Info about the Youth Service programs offered at the library
  • Notary Services, at the library or in the community
  • Fax Services, at the library or in the community
  • Animal Shelters
  • Local Newspapers, listing of titles and link to web sites
  • Radio Stations, listing of stations and link to web sites
  • Local sports leagues
  • NYS Department of Motor Vehicles http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/
  • Day Care and Nursery Schools
  • Where to borrow a wheelchair/ "Help Closet"
  • Local entertainment (museums, fruit orchards, theaters…)
  • Volunteer Opportunities, in the library and in the local community http://www.handsonhv.org
• Consumer Information: For those interested in becoming more knowledgeable consumers & help in making important consumer decisions
  • Product comparison& pricing
    • Consumer Reports
    • Cars: Kelley Blue Book http://www.kbb.com & Edmunds http://www.edmunds.com
    • Thomas Register online database contains information, resources and links for more than 180,000 industrial suppliers and over 2,000,000 products http://www.thomasregister.com/
  • Travel
  • Driving directions & road trip planning through Mapquest http://www.mapquest.com/
  • Travel booking sites for flights, hotels, cruises and more:Expedia http://www.expedia.com and Travelocity http://www.Travelocity.com
  • Currency Converter http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=curc&&&&dchg=&&zz=1054564722125&
  • Consumer health
    • Health Information Project http://midhudson.org/hip/main.htm
    • Health Finder http://www.healthfinder.gov/
    • NOAH: New York Online Access to Health http://www.noah-health.org/
• Current Topics and Titles: Best sellers and more - ways to satisfy desire for recreational experiences.
  • Links into the OPAC that provide lists of:
    • DVD's at your library
    • Audiobooks
    • Items your library has, by genre
  • Readers Advisory
    • Genreflecting http://www.genreflecting.com/index2.html
    • AllReaders.com http://www.allreaders.com/
    • Bookspot.com http://www.bookspot.com/
    • ILSA Reader's Advisory http://www.ilsa.lib.ia.us/readadvice.htm
  • Best seller list http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/
  • Books that feature the Hudson Valley http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/oop/click_ord/viewlocalint.html?sid=1967
  • Info re: Request-A-Title http://midhudson.org/help/request_a_title.htm
  • Info regarding your library book discussion group
  • Local entertainment (museums, fruit orchards, theaters…)
  • ALA recommended lists
  • Award winners
• Government Information: Need for info about elected officials & gov't agencies
• US Census
• Tax forms (Federal, New York State, out of state)
• Municipality web site: find yours at http://www.nysegov.com/citguide.cfm?context=citguide&content=munibycounty2
• Local licensing information (ex: fishing, hunting, dog licenses)
• Area elected officials (local, state and federal) National, Senate & Assembly at http://midhudson.org/resources/advocacy/legislators_adv.htm
• NYS Civil Service exam information http://www.cs.state.ny.us/announ/mainpages/exams.htm
• Citizenship & Immigration information http://www.bcis.gov/Information
• Voter Registration Information
  • NYS http://www.elections.state.ny.us/voting/voting.htm
• Passport services & information http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html
• Local History and Genealogy: To know & better understand personal or community heritage
• Local history info or link
• Local historical records
• Local historical society
• Local genealogical society
• Local GenWeb resources
  • Columbia County http://www.rootsweb.com/~nycolumb/
  • Dutchess County http://www.rootsweb.com/~nydutche/
  • Putnam County http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyputnam/
• Catalog link to local history materials / info
• Books that feature the Hudson Valley http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/oop/click_ord/viewlocalint.html?sid=1967
• Local history materials that you provide access to at the library, should be listed on your web site
• HeritageQuest database http://www.heritagequestonline.com
• Indexing of local newspapers
• Notable local citizens
• Maps: Ask local county engineers office for digital maps of county to put online
• Searchable obit file http://www.e-vancedsolutions.com/eobit.pdf
• Could be curriculum related - Learning Standards at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ls.html
• Census Information
• Notable Citizens list
• Link to the local history section of the MHLS listing of member library's special collections: http://midhudson.org/resources/resource_sharing/special_collections.htm#history
• Digitization: Northeast Document Conservation Center Handbook for Digital Projects available at http://www.nedcc.org/digital/dighome.htm
• History of the Library
• Links Ellis Island or site that lists popular genealogical research web sites
• Business and Career Information: Related to business, careers, work, entrepreneurship, personal finances & obtaining employment
• Listing of library periodicals included in HomeAccess databases that pertain to businesses
  • Business periodicals in EBSCO MasterFILE Select: Partial listing: Advertising Age, American Banker, American Salesman, Complete Idiots Guide to Starting your Own Business, Business Week, Forbes, Home Office, Inc., Money, PC Week
  • Gale's Business & Company Resource Center Database: Respected information sources for business professionals, casual investors, students of finance, economics and marketing. Includes more than 500,000 company profiles, stock prices, investment reports, industry statistics, business journal news & analysis
• Workforce Development http://midhudson.org/workforce/
• County Workforce Development Systems
  • Columbia/Greene Workforce Development System http://www.columbiagreeneworks.org/
  • Dutchess County Workforce Development System http://www.dutchessworks.com/
  • Ulster http://www.workforcenewyork.org/ulster/
• Business links that target a specific group, for example entrepreneurs
• Info about video conferencing facilities
• Notary Services, at the library or in the community
• Fax Services, at the library or in the community
• Link to the Hudson Valley Business Journal http://www.hvbj.com
• Links to the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Lions, etc.
• Thomas Register online database contains information, resources and links for more than 180,000 industrial suppliers and over 2,000,000 products http://www.thomasregister.com/
• Civil Service Information
• Job List linkshttp://midhudson.org/workforce/job_lists.html
• Commons: To meet & interact with others in the community
• Online room booking http://www.e-vancedsolutions.com/eroom.html
• Community Room picture and policy
• Online registration for library programs http://www.e-vancedsolutions.com/events.html
• Virtual bulletin board
• Host a community calendar
• Info about free e-mail services
• Info about video conferencing facilities
• Library Programs & Events
• Mail2Web.com - web site that allows people to check their personal e-mail account from any PC w/Internet connection http://mail2web.com/
• Volunteer Opportunities, in the library and in the local community http://www.handsonhv.org
• Local issues: for example, school election, budget vote, zoning, water problems
• Library Board of Trustee minutes
• Formal Learning Support: Help for those involved in formal education or homeschooling to obtain educational goals
• Databases
• Link to local school sites for summer reading lists
• School District web site
• Homework help resources
• Lifelines http://midhudson.org/lifelines/
• Home schooling resources http://midhudson.org/department/youth/websiteslibfam.htm#Homeschooling
• Online tutorials: Web Junction Learning Center http://www.webjunction.org/do/LearningCenter?method=getCourseCatalog
• Tutor.com http://www.tutor.com
• Learn A Test http://www.learnatest.com
• Links to sites used by teachers to post homework assignments
• Study guides: SparkNotes http://www.sparknotes.com/guides/ Cliff Notes http://www.cliffsnotes.com/ PinkMonkey.com http://www.pinkmonkey.com/index2.asp
• NYS Civil Service exam information http://www.cs.state.ny.us/announ/mainpages/exams.htm
  
• Local Colleges
  
• BOCES
• ILL policies, procedures & contact info at your library
• NYS Drivers Ed manual http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmanual/default.html
• Distance Learning college programs http://iiswinprd03.petersons.com/distancelearning/code/search.asp
  
• Lifelong Learning: Self directed personal growth & development opportunities
• Tips for reading aloud to children http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah_chpt4_p1.html
  
• Adult education opportunities: Local colleges, community adult ed opportunities, BOCES
• Info regarding your library book discussion group
• Info about the Youth Service programs offered at the library
• Cultural Awareness: Programs and special displays that reflect the cultural heritage of the service area
• Links to cultural heritage organizations in your community
  
• Bibliographies based on cultural heritage
  
• Calendar of cultural events in the community
• Could be curriculum related - Learning Standards at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/ls.html
• Basic Literacy: Addresses the need to read & to perform other essential daily tasks
• Links to LVA or other reading tutors in the community
• Columbia County: Literacy Volunteers of Columbia/Greene County http://www.mhonline.net/~uway/agencies/literacy.html
• Dutchess County:Dutchess County Literacy Volunteers http://www.lvadutchess.org/, Dutchess County BOCES http://www.dcboces.org/courses/literacy.html
• Greene County: Literacy Volunteers of Columbia/Greene County http://www.mhonline.net/~uway/agencies/literacy.html
• Putnam County: Literacy Volunteers of Putnam County, Comite Latino http://westchesterlibraries.org/recursos/comitelat.html, Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES http://www.pnwboces.org
• Ulster County: Ulster Literacy Association http://www.ulster.net/~literacy/
• A sampling of resources for Adult Literacy Education for Learners of American English:
• ERIC Clearinghouse full-text publications http://ericacve.org/fulltext.asp
• Literacy Online http://www.literacyonline.org/
• PBS Adult Learning Service http://www.pbs.org/als/
• Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO http://www.accu.or.jp/index.shtml
• Maryland Adult Literacy Resource Center Lesson plans for Teachers http://research.umbc.edu/~ira/lessweb.html
• National Center on Adult Literacy http://litserver.literacy.upenn.edu/
• Information Literacy: Skills relating to finding, evaluating and using info effectively
• Texas Information Literacy Tutorial (TILT). University of Texas System Digital Library. http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/
• Evaluation checklists (for example: Critical Evaluation of Resources/ Margaret Phillips, UC Berkeley Library. Suggestions for evaluating a range of resources, including books, articles and websites. Covers suitablility, authority, other indicators, reference sources, and provides links. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Evaluation.html
• General Information: Info on a broad array of topics related to work, school & personal life
  • Information and links from service response areas listed in the categories above
  • Basic reference resources
  • E-mail link to reference staff
    
  • Link to HomeAccess
    
  • Link to Online Public Access Catalog

   

If you would like to contribute an idea/resource for this listing, send an e-mail