CHABOT LIBRARY |
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by Norman Buchwald
October 24, 2001
CHABOT LIBRARY |
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Listed below are examples of evaluations to web sites deemed to be of quality in the areas of information and/or education. All sites highlight the most noticable features in the areas of Accuracy, Authority, Objectivity, Currency, and Coverage. Each site is linked directly to the web site online. I have also provided right below the CORRECT URL to the web site. The examples demonstrate a paragraph with 5-7 sentences.
Example of a Web Site on a Notable Person
A
Dent in the Tori Amos Net Universe
http://thedent.com/
An excellent fan tribute on Tori Amos and her fans, this web site has wide extensive coverage including an up to date news section and an archive of full text articles dating all the way back to 1977, which include reviews and articles on Tori Amos and her creative output, and articles about her fans. Articles are from mostly reliable resources such as the New York Times, Reuters, and Rolling Stone. Also includes interviews, a tour calendar, a calendar of upcoming television and radio appearances, as well as photographs. The site is clearly biased in its praise of Tori Amos' craft, but the site also lists articles and reviews that have criticized some of the artist's albums, songs and concert performances. While the author, Mike Why, does not provide an "About" page that clearly introduces who he is and his expertise, the information he collects is from reliable sources. While one may question whether he has the copyright permission to post some of the full text articles, a quick check on some of the articles on Ebsco Host demonstrates Mike Why has done a good job posting the articles exactly as they were originally written. Overall, the site is well-organized, well-written, easily readable, and well-maintained. The web site was last updated on October 23, 2001.
Example of a Web Site on a Place
Native
Species [in New Zealand]
http://www.doc.govt.nz/cons/native/native.htm
From New Zealand's Department of Conservation, this web site documents general fact sheets on twenty different types of plant and animal life unique to New Zealand, with indepth information on the Pikao (the golden sand sege). Fact sheets begin with descriptions of what each plant life or animal is, followed by other factual and sometimes statistical information. Many fact sheets conclude with references to print sources, in case anyone is looking for more in-depth coverage. Sometimes, if the species is endangered or there is an ecological concern, the Department of Conservation will provide information as to how the reader can help and offers government pamphlets that go more in-depth on the ecological situation regarding the plant or animal species (which the reader can purchase through their site), but the web site's intention is really to inform, not to sell. In general, information is provided with the concern of conservation, but the web site still has a more neutral tone and provides reliable facts and statistics from their government research-level studies. Coverage is limited in most cases and the web site mainly lists print references and not to other web sites. This web site was last updated on October 14, 2001.
Example of a Web Site on an Informative Topic
Multicultural
Education [Multicultural Pavilion]
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/multicultural/home.html
This site provides a valuable index to many
quality web sites devoted to Multicultural Education. Created and
maintained by Dr. Paul Gorski, Coodinator of the Diversity Works and Student
Intercultural Learning Center at the University of Maryland, the Multicultural
Pavilion contains comprehensive coverage on many aspects of multicultural
education, especially from the teacher's point of view. Includes
many useful features such as suggested assignments ("awareness activities"),
links to many sites and articles and online journals, and a directory to
many multicultural organizations. Well organized and maintained,
the site belongs to the educational institution of the Curry School of
Education at the University of Virginia. Many sites are well-documented
with lists of many scholarly references. The site is mainly to inform
what multicultural education is, and provides many resources that support
Gorski's definition. Multicultural Provision is up-to-date as it
has an October 2001 section listed on top.