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Dear Netters,

Thank you for the many responses. To recap: I am unable to make my library web page 
the default web page on my library and lab computers. Consequently, the students 
(and staff) do not use the library web page as the starting point for research. 
Many of our resources are under-used or not used at all. I was asking for advice. I 
received many responses and I will summarize them for you.

Some people suggested that I set the page myself. That won't work because the 
computers are locked and I do not have the "rights" to change the settings.

Most of you gave me good arguments for why the library page should be the default 
page:

"The librarian is responsibile for library resources."

"Students and staff are delayed when
the Internet opens on the school district page. If the classroom computers
or teacher computers open there, that is fine, but the purpose of the
library web page is to serve as a focal point where everyone can see all the
resources that are available and then decide which is the best route to take
first (periodical, card catalog, Internet, magazine database, etc.). We all
know that, for some assignments, the Internet is not always the best place
to go first."

"Decisions that affect student learning should be
made by instructional experts not techs. There is no sound technological
reason for that person to dictate which page your computers open up to."

"The librarian determines what the home page
for the browsers will be. Our adjoining computer lab has no predetermined
hopme page and it creates a real mess when classes go there for research.
Research in the library, with our home page (databases), however, is much
more productive."

"All of my computers open to the library web page when Internet
Explorer is launched. This is something I did. This is my library, my
computers and my curriculum, by district policy."

"I think it is important that whatever we do we try to make it as
instructional as possible. People are, by nature, lazy; or to put it more
gently, expedient. They want to maximize results with the minimum of
effort. Many are learning the hard way that broad based Internet searching
is, often times, not really expedient. Our challenge is to devise ways for
them to learn this as they work because try as I might they do not always
listen to the lessons I attempt to provide. Our gateway page has helped a
lot with this. We are beginning to notice more and more patrons using our
subscription products and not the Internet because they usually find things
more quickly and the reliability of the information is much higher and more
consistent."

"Our web page is an extension of our collection. It is a part of our library."

Many of you suggested that I take my argument to the Principal. I have talked to my 
Principal but I think that one more try won't hurt. I intend to send the Director 
of Technology a memo outlining the reasons why I think the library web page should 
be the default page. I will copy my Principal on the memo. Thanks for all your 
support.

Yvonne Mullins, Dept. Chair, Library
Lincoln-Way East High School
Frankfort, IL 60462
ymullins@lwhs.will.k12.il.us

Yvonne Mullins, Dept. Chair, Library
Lincoln-Way East High School
Frankfort, IL 60462
ymullins@lwhs.will.k12.il.us

NTMail K12 - the Mail Server for Education

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