Chat Room: Taking Charge

Why are so many school and public youth librarians forbidden to post any information on their library's Web site? Often, I hear, the only person with the authority to do so is the tech person--the guy who oversees the building's networks and computers. This person typically isn't a librarian, nor does he have any experience teaching information literacy skills to young people. Yet the tech person controls how you and your students use computers and the Internet.

You may have great ideas about how you want to present online research tools like your catalog and licensed databases, but all too often the tech person lays down the law: "The PCs and the network must be secure at all costs. Nobody touches the Web server but me."

Most librarians can probably relate to Sue Johnston, a librarian at Aberdeen (SD) Central High School, who's frustrated because she feels her district's technology director doesn't understand her. "He isn't an educator and doesn't understand what we're about," she says. "It took three years of begging to get a Web site, and the tech department still hasn't linked our automated catalog to our site."

Don Korte, a library media specialist at Columbus (NE) Middle School, has a similar story. He ran his school's Web site for two years, working with teachers to quickly get important research materials online. But a year ago, the school district changed the rules. Now Korte is forbidden to post the pages he creates on the server, and the tech person is the only one who can alter the school library's Web site. This has to change. Librarians must start asserting themselves. Tell your principal or director that you should be in charge of designing and maintaining information on your library Web site.

Why are techies given so much control? School district technology directors have huge responsibilities—they keep school computers and networks running, and they prevent virus attacks and security breaches. But librarians and teachers also need to make the best educational use of their Web sites. Here are some suggestions that'll help you gain more control of your Web site, or at least help you when you deal with your tech person:

• Learn to speak the tech person's language as best you can. If you haven't mastered the fundamentals of how technology is used in your school, learn them now. Every librarian should know the basics of HTML coding—even if you use a program such as Microsoft FrontPage that lets you create Web pages without coding. HTML will give you an understanding about how Web browsers and Web pages work.
• Explain to your tech person in detail what you're trying to accomplish, and be open to his suggestions. This way, he'll feel a part of the project rather than an outsider. Work toward taking a lead role in maintaining your part of the site, even if it is under his supervision.
• Design a home page that encourages students to develop information literacy skills. Put up prominent links to your library catalog, licensed databases, and pages of links to assignment-oriented Web sites. Look at the University Laboratory High School site (www.uni.uiuc.edu/library) designed by librarian Frances Jacobson Harris. Each of its database links includes an annotation when a cursor is placed over it, so students and teachers can see the differences between Wilson Select Plus and NetTrekker. Show this home page to your tech person as an example of a librarian's professional expertise guiding a site's design.

Here are a few points that technology directors should keep in mind:

• Librarians are experts in information literacy . They teach students how to evaluate information and use proper resources in their assignments. Interfering with librarians' work interferes with student learning.
• Students doing homework go to the Web first for answers. Librarians need technology training, and permission to post important links on the server. They need to be able to design Web pages that complement lessons.
• Librarians need access to resources that in many districts are reserved only for the tech people. For example, they should be able to unblock filtered Web sites and seize the teachable moment.

Librarians should examine their job description. Make sure that maintaining the library Web site is among your many responsibilities. If it isn't, ask to have it added.