Charles R. McClure

Assessing U.S. federal government websites

Abstract The exponential growth of federal Websites is outpacing federal information management policy guidelines. Federal Websites are potentially rich information resources, and the Web may well become the preeminent channel for disseminating federal information. Legitimate policy issues associated with the use of this new information dissemination channel should be assessed. This article provides an overview of information policy issues which affect federal Websites and introduces assessment techniques which federal Website designers and administrators could use to evaluate the design and management of their Web-based information resources.

Web usage statistics: Measurement issues and analytical techniques

Abstract The number of federal agencies creating and maintaining electronic networked resources continues to increase. One networked resource federal agencies are increasingly using is the World Wide Web (Web). As government use of the Web rises, so too does the need for assessing the extent and nature of public use of agency Web sites. One means of Web use evaluation is through the analysis of Web server-generated log files. This article presents various log file analysis techniques and issues related to the interpretation of log file data.

The 2004 and 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Evolving Roles and Lessons Learned for Public Libraries in Disaster Preparedness and Community Services

SUMMARY In the aftermath of the 2004 and 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, public libraries played many important roles in their communities, though ensuring access to vital information may have been the most critical service. This article explores the participation of public libraries in the recovery of their communities, the implications of this involvement for the place of public libraries in society, and lessons learned and recommendations for public library disaster planning. As this article demonstrates, public libraries successfully provided a range of disaster preparedness and recovery services that were not provided and could not have been provided by other government agencies.

Functionality, usability, and accessibility

Purpose – Usability, functionality, and accessibility testing of digital library information services and products is essential for providing high quality services to users. This paper aims to detail a long‐term, evolving effort to develop meaningful evaluations for assessing digital libraries.Design/methodology/approach – A multi‐year study to determine appropriate evaluation techniques, tools, and methodologies for the Florida Electronic Library (FEL) and other digital library efforts. The evaluation protocols and approaches were designed iteratively over time through assessment efforts with other digital library initiatives and with multiple versions of the FEL. The research described in this paper relies on a combination of functionality, usability, and accessibility evaluation strategies applied iteratively to assess libraries from the perspective of patron needs.Findings – By combining these three methodologies, the researchers found that they were able to create a rich and robust evaluation of digi...

The impact of the USA Patriot Act on collection and analysis of personal information under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

Abstract The collection and analysis of personal information under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) has been significantly altered by the U.S.A. Patriot Act, and a proposed enhancement to the Patriot Act would create further changes. This article examines the original intent and scope of FISA, how the Patriot Act has dramatically modified the scope and meaning of FISA, and how the Patriot enhancement, if it were to be enacted into law, would create further significant alterations to FISA. The article explores the impact of these changes on information policy, especially in terms of the collection and analysis of personal information. The implications of these changes to FISA are examined in terms of a number of sources of personal information, including e-government, electronic and transactional records, and libraries. Finally, this article discusses the difficulty in determining the practical effects of these changes to FISA.

The USA PATRIOT Act, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and Information Policy Research in Libraries: Issues, Impacts, and Questions for Libraries and Researchers

While the USA PATRIOT Act has altered how certain types of federal intelligence investigations affect libraries, the act also greatly alters how researchers can study information policy issues related to libraries. To date, the gravity and scope of the acts implications for researchers of library services, resources, operations, and policies have not been discussed widely. Researchers now must account for questions they cannot ask, or may not be able to ask, during the course of information policy research related to libraries. This article examines how the multiple impacts of the USA PATRIOT Act on libraries extend to researchers of library services, resources, operations, and policies, placing the current situation in historical context. These limitations, in turn, affect all libraries, as the findings of information policy research often have serious implications for the functions of libraries. This article discusses the myriad issues and research questions created by the USA PATRIOT Act for researchers, as well as the potential implications of these questions.

The Policy Implications of Internet Connectivity in Public Libraries

Abstract The provision of public Internet access and related networked services by public libraries is affected by a number of information policy issues. This article analyzes the policy dimensions of Internet connectivity in public libraries in light of the data and findings from a national survey of public libraries conducted by the authors of this article. After providing a summary of the study methodology and findings, this article examines key policy issues that include the nature of sufficient bandwidth and broadband, the perpetuation of the digital divide of Internet access in libraries, the role of libraries as e-government access points, the complexities of funding Internet access, the impacts and contradictions of filtering, and the chilling effect of homeland security legislation in public libraries. This article concludes with a discussion of how examining these policy issues can lead to a better understanding of public libraries and the Internet access they offer within the context of public policy.

Emerging Role of Public Librarians as E-Government Providers

Libraries increasingly play an integral role as service providers in E-Government systems, but little has been done to assess the scope or trajectory of citizen needs in libraries. This multi-method exploratory study used a series of interviews, surveys, workshops and reference logs to identify trends in E-Government in public libraries, the EGovernment support roles of public libraries, and citizen expectations from public libraries regarding E-Government services. The study found that librarians answered questions about the IRS and taxes, children and family services, and immigration services among others. Most patrons reported that they used the library for internet service because they did not have any other form of internet access.

The effects of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in public libraries and its implications for research: A statistical, policy, and legal analysis

In upholding the Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the U.S. Supreme Court has forced public libraries to face difficult issues about filtering Internet content. The implementation of filters creates a range of practical issues for libraries and also raises myriad research issues related to the effects of CIPA on public library services and on access to Internet-based information in public libraries. Using a multimethod, iterative research strategy, this article explores selected areas related to filtering that may affect the provision of Internet content and services in public libraries. This study presents preliminary data about the impact of CIPA on public libraries and offers a perspective of what research is necessary to provide a better understanding of the impacts of CIPA and to determine what research would need to be conducted for potential future legal challenges to the application of CIPA in public libraries.

Toward a Framework for Assessing Library and Institutional Outcomes

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) E-Metrics project sought to understand how academic libraries might specify, produce, and assess institutional outcomes. This paper reviews the findings from a discussion forum, site visits, an analysis and review of accreditation standards, and a survey of ARL member directors, and offers a framework for approaching the outcomes assessment process. The paper concludes by suggesting that much work remains to integrate outcomes assessment successfully in a university setting. Moreover, multiple approaches to assessment, of which outcomes assessment is but one, are still needed for a comprehensive assessment of libraries in the broader university and societal context.