Week7 Reading Note

Beyond HTML is well written article to understand the initial part of the process of building a website which is more database-driven. I totally agree with the method of GSU’s web site developing. Sometimes, a website developer put priority on his interests. (Usually, he/she focuses on the aesthetic aspects of the websites regardless a user’s actual information seeking behavior.) Therefore, there is a significant gap between function of websites and the users’ needs. In this view, CMS and CSS are significant tools for information professionals. With these programs, an individual without knowledge about markup languages such as HTML has been empowered in contributing content. However, it has been 6 years after this article so the environment of the digital technology has been greatly changed, too. Now, I feel that ignorance about basic structure is producing another serious problem. In Chinese proverb, if you give a man a fish, you could feed him for a day. But if you teach a man to fish, you would feed him for a lifetime. I know it is harsh critics but I think that current staffs in the library are like programed robots which perform their work within their range. They show a marked trend to avoid and be afraid of tasks beyond their ordinary range. Some could say that it is specialization but I want to say that they are passive in working. If a librarian has more encompassed knowledge about markup language, it would be more idealistic than working with other individuals. I suggest that a library professional should invade other domains if they are vital in increasing our job’s effectiveness and efficiency.