Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals

In a time when increasing numbers of people use the web as their primary means of locating information, most of the websites of archives and other historical organizations have not kept pace with overall web improvements in design, usability and utility. Many of these organizations lack the resources to hire consultants to improve their sites, or the internal expertise needed to know where to start.

 

Many of the staff of these collections are intimidated by Web 2.0 technology, and have a requirement for a low-tech, concept-based resource that approaches their web presence as an integral part of their business. They need a book written from the point of view of someone managing a historical organization, targeted specifically at the kind of material that is key to their missions, that will focus on giving them the information to make their own decisions about their own sites – and this new publication offers just that. The key areas covered are: 

This introductory guide for anyone working with collections in archives and historical organizations will act as a tool to assess the current utility of an organization’s web presence, and to identify how to improve that presence using the latest Web 2.0 technologies. Drawing on examples of good practice from real archives websites, providing a wealth of checklists and pinpointing available resources, it offers all that is needed to transform a website to achieve an organization’s goals.