Reading on the World Wide Web has become a daily habit nowadays. This can be seen from the perspective of changes in readers' tendency to be more interested in materials from the internet, than printed media. Taking these developments into account, it is important for web-based instructional designers to choose the appropriate font, especially for…

After speculation in literature about the nature of Personal Learning Environments, research in the design and development of PLEs is now in progress. This paper reports on the first phase of the authors' research on PLE, the identification process of what potential users would consider important components, applications, and tools in a PLE. The…

In the early 1990s, numerous academic libraries adopted the web as a communication tool with users. The literature on academic library websites includes research on both design and navigation. Early studies typically focused on design characteristics, since websites initially merely provided information on the services and collections available in…

The purpose of this study was to develop an information filtering system which collects, classifies, selects, and stores various kinds of information found through the Internet. A collaborative form of information gathering was examined and a model was built and implemented in the Internet information space. (AEF)

Even as weblogs, content management systems, and other forms of automated Web posting and journals are changing the way people create and place content on the Web, new Web pages mushroom overnight. However, many new Web designers produce Web pages that seem to ignore fundamental principles of "good design": full of colored backgrounds, animated…

Designing a web home page involves many decisions that affect how the page will look, the kind of technology required to use the page, the links the page will provide, and kinds of patrons who can use the page. The theme of information literacy needs to be built into every web page; users need to be taught the skills of sorting and applying…

Focuses on the pre-design questions that a Web site designer and client need to address. Discusses the why, who, what, where, and when phases of the Web site design process. Includes a Web Site Development Form to guide site designs through the first two stages of Web site development: specification and design. (AEF)

Presents technical issues, design considerations and resource sites to consider when designing a Web site. Discusses fonts; colors; screen resolutions; statement of purpose; audience; content; layout; size and number of images; spacing and emphasis; browser-supported features; grammar and spelling; revision/improvement; and testing. (AEF)

Examines differences between the formal features of commercial versus noncommercial Web sites, and the relationship between Web page complexity and amount of traffic a site receives. Findings indicate that, although most pages in this stage of the Web's development remain technologically simple and noninteractive, there are significant…

This book provides effective approaches for designers, information architects, and web site managers who are faced with sites that are becoming difficult to use and maintain. The book is divided into 10 sections. Chapter 1: "What Makes a Web Site Work" considers site users needs when designing the architecture; Chapter 2:…

In July 1997, the University Library at the University of Nebraska at Omaha adopted a new structural model for Web site development--the publishing metaphor. Rather than relying on an individual expert (the Webmaster) or a WebTeam comprised of a few individuals, the model permits everyone in the organization, regardless of position or Web…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore both accessibility and usability and examine the inhibitors and methods to evaluate site accessibility. Design techniques which improve end-user access and site interactivity, demonstrated by practical examples, are also studied. Design/methodology/approach: Assesses various web sites for…

What would it take for libraries to provide their patrons with the same kind of success in finding information using their resources as they achieve with Google, and as quickly? This author asserts that the answer is not that complicated: be more like Google, and then move beyond Google. With the technology available right now, this is not an…

Three user interfaces to LIBIS, a library catalog accessible through the Internet, were evaluated for use by people who are motor impaired to identify how interface design influences the motor actions necessary to operate the system. Problems and recommendations related to simplicity, consistency, instinctiveness, interaction/feedback, and…