Web based Information Services for Engineering Science and Technology

I R N Goudar Head
Information Centre for Aerospace Science & Technology NAL, Bangalore 560 017 goudar@css.nal.res.in

The Internet offers a gateway to a myriad of online databases, library catalogues and collections, and software and document archives, in addition to frequently used storeand-forward services, such as UserNet News and e-mail

Web: An Ideal Media and Source of Information

 WWW provides hypertext access to documents located anywhere on the Internet.  Web facilitates combination of text, pictures, sound, animation and video.  Many varying information systems are tied into a homogeneous browsable, searchable web.  Efficient information delivery.  Information on desktops of users.  Vast majority of Internet services are free for taking.
Contd...

 Net is equal opportunity provider without caste, creed, colour, belief, etc.  Physical disabilities dont matter for usage of sources.  Net requires motivation and motivated learning is much more fun.  Information sharing with global dimensions.  WWW is a very successful distributed information system.  New dimension and new responsibility for Library & Information Science Profession.
Contd...

 Easy way to get access to Government produced information.  Integration of local and remote Library & Information services using web browser as a common user interface.  Internet is forcing libraries to move from Owning models to Access models.  IP enabling for accessing information databases.  Facilitates keeping abreast of rapidly changing data.

Internet Access Vs CD-ROM Access

Criteria Currency Internet Access Generally more current CD-ROM Access Depends on update frequency

Retrieval Ease of Access

Depends on many factors Better search capabilities Slow access affects web databases Less maintenance Independent CD-ROM networks should be immune More especially when networked Run on particular platform

Maintenance Platform dependency

Internet: Some Interesting Statistics

Over 350 million users today Will cross a billion mark by 2005 150 million likely to get connected in 2000 Eastern and southern European prefer Wireless Web Access on cell phones and palmtops UNs Human Development reveals that 88% of Worlds Internet users are in wealthy and developed nation Adult sites were a $1 billion industry in 1998 Teens >25% visit X-rated sites 51% of American classrooms have net connection

Internet Domain Survey-Number of Internet Hosts

DATE HOSTS DATE 10/1990 01/1991 07/1991 10/1991 01/1992 04/1992 07/1992 10/1992 01/1993 04/1993 07/1993 10/1993 01/1994 HOSTS 313,000 376,000 535,000 617,000 727,000 890,000 992,000 1,136,000 1,313,000 1,486,000 1,776,000 2,056,000 2,217,000 DATE 07/1994 10/1994 01/1995 07/1995 01/1996 07/1996 01/1997 07/1997 01/1998 07/1998 01/1999 07/1999 01/2000 HOSTS 3,212,000 3,864,000 4,852,000 6,642,000 9,472,000 12,881,000 16,146,000 19,540,000 29,670,000 36.739,000 43,230,000 56,218,000 72,398,092

08/1981 213 05/1982 235 08/1983 562 10/1984 1,024 10/1985 1,961 02/1986 2,308 11/1986 5,089 12/1987 28,174 07/1988 33,000 10/1988 56,000 01/1989 80,000 07/1989 130,000 10/1989 159,000

What Users Do on the Internet

Activity Email General information Surfing Reading Hobbies Product information Travel information Work/Business Entertainment/Games Buying Stock quotes Job search Chat rooms Homework Auctions Banking Trading stocks Internet users (percent) 90% 77 69 67 63 62 54% 46 36 36 27 26 24% 21 13 12 7

Top Web Sites (May 2000)

Rank Web site Unique visitors (thousands) 59,230 49,309 48,851 32,475 28,751 23,065 17,926 16,489 14,972 14,256 14,183 13,319

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

AOL Network* Microsoft sites* Yahoo sites* Lycos* Excite@Home* GO Network* About.com sites* NBC Internet* Amazon* Time Warner Online* AltaVista Network* Ask Jeeves*

Top Shopping Sites (May 2000)

Rank Web site Unique visitors (thousands) 14,040 13,042 12,046 11,419 7,243 5,528 5,167 4,922 4,908 4,768

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Amazon.com Blue Mountain eCards eBay.com AOL Shoppping Channel AmericanGreetings.com MyPoints.com Barnes & Noble.com Webstakes.com BizRate.com Priceline.com

Top Education Sites (May 2000)

Rank Web site Unique visitors (thousands) 1,733 1,550 1,455 1,331 1,215 1,168 1,135 1,098 1,017

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

University of California, Berkeley University of Michigan University of Texas at Austin Massachusetts Institute of Technology Harvard University University of Tennessee University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Cornell University University of Virginia

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1,261

Top Government Sites (May 2000)

Rank Web site Unique visitors (thousands) 1,945 1,808 1,694 1,683 1,344 1,192 1,148 1,061 947 936

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

NASA State of California National Institutes of Health National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Education U.S. Navy U.S. Army Library of Congress National Park Service U.S. Geological Survey

Media Content: Internet

Listservs and Discussion Groups

Subject Databases

Community Information

Government Resources

Bulletin Boards

Information & Services at Remote sites

Library Catalogues

Commercial Resources

Document Delivery

Shopping and other Commercial transactions

Library Websites - Why?

Facilitate and promote library use Basic information about library and its services On-line access to local sources Gateway to networked information sources Integrate Push-based services

Uses of Internet Access in Libraries

Basic Library & Information Services Networked CD-ROM Databases Links to remote information

Interactive homepages ILL & Document Delivery

Library Website: Applications

OPAC

Document Acquisition Indexing, Cataloguing & Classification

Push-based services

Library Website Development

Design Authoring & Testing Launch Maintenance

Library Website - A case study of ICAST, NAL

Listservs & Discussion Group

Variety of topics Exchange current information Conduct a dialogue Particular interest to information managers

Subject Databases
Especially from R&D/Academic institutions Number is increasing Ex: India Universitys Biology files

Community Information
Usually through public libraries Catalogue of local public libraries Tour of art gallery Tourist Information Weather bulletins

Government Resources
National and local governments Legal information Government institutions Ex: NICs site

Library Catalogues
Increased number of catalogues on net Usually large university libraries and public libraries Few Indian too

Shopping & Other Commercial Transactions

Shopping Malls On-line Book Shop Amezon Music, CDs, gifts, toys, etc.

Document Delivery
Libraries, Publishers, other agencies OCLC, BLDSC ISI, NTIS UMI, National Translation Centre Derwent, AIAA, etc.

Basic Library Information & Services

Applications
Library hours Contact persons Policy/Plan Documents Quality Manuals Calenders Direct e-mail link for sources Databases Contents pages

Access
Browse & Select

Content Format
Text (HTML, PDF, ASCII), Audio(WAV), Images (GIF, JPEG), Video (AVI, MPEG)

Networked CD-ROM Databases

Platform independent access to windows application on the net Ex: Citrixs Metaframe using ICA List of networked databases and access using browsers Trend is towards hard disc hosting Ex: ERL, OVID

Links to Remote Information

Connection to resources around the world Links to Internet sites of relevance to its users Links to commercial databases Full text, Bibliographic Internet Public Library Links to other library catalogues Links to frequently used bookmark files

OPAC
Non - web enabled OPACs Telnet access Export OPAC records into text files, index using webenabled softwares like MG, Free WAIS. Web - enabled databases

Indexing, Cataloguing & Classification

Contents of book request form - Catalogue data Remote access to catalogues data Access to thesauri and controlled vocabularies

Document Acquisitions
Links to publishers catalogues (books, journals, etc) Links to books databases Book sellers sites Journals Distributors Online shops (Amazon) Book request forms

Push-based Services
Current Awareness Service List of Applications Hosting on web E-mail delivery Profile based alert services SDI Table of Contents Web Alert Service Web hosting E-mail delivery

ILL & Document Delivery

Public access catalogues of other library

In-built request forms

Document Delivery

Interactive homepages
Fill-in form for services & feedback Reservation of library material Circulation Inter Library Loan Reference question

Design
Content Content formats Audience Structuring & navigation Layout Site search (Tools like SWISH) Site map and site index Feedback & help

Authoring & Testing

HTML Editor Netscape Navigator & Composer Microsoft Front Page Dreamweaver

Template - based design for large sites

Launch
Quality Testing usability, consistency, accuracy, compatibility

Publicity Site registration Links by other sites

Maintenance
Updating Analysis of Link updation Back ups, trouble shooting Periodic testing