Polish Academic Web Sites and Their Users [poster/contribution]

Author: Zaneta Szerksznis,  Poznan University Library, Poland

Fulltexts

Abstract

The author describes the methods of communication with Web-site’s users analyzing Polish university libraries. Three forms of communication are identified: static, dynamic and supportive multimedia courses (the so-called "help-yourself guides"). The second edition of the "Best Academic Library Web-Site" competition organized by the Polish Librarians Association last year selected the best web-site in 2004. The Wroclaw University Library web page in its new shape was initiated in July 2003 and is an example of information an service gateway offering remote assistance and use in some of services offered. Web-sites evolve towards indirect communication with the help of the "ask the librarian" form and through assistance instructions though they still lack guidelines for undergraduates and postgraduates writing their MA and PhD theses.

The paper discusses the already existing solutions in remote communication as against the relevant statistical data from Poland and the OECD that refer to Polish internet structure and users. Most Polish web sites are static and offer indirect communication.

About the author

1996 - to date, librarian , Research Information Section, Poznan University Library, Poland; responsible for the content and the layout of the Library’s web-page
2000 – Training Course for Legal Information Specialists Asser College Europe, The Hague
1999/2000 – Postgraduate study in Advertising and Promotion at Institute of Political Science and Journalism, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan
1996 – Training Course Internet at a library, University of Technology, Wroclaw

Main publications:

Co-author, Library web sites and its users: the methods of friendly communication, Conference paper, Professional Information on the Internet: design and development, access, quality, ethics in cyberspace and intellectual property, Institut of Librarianship and Information Science, Conference organized by Jagiellonian University in Krakow, the 31 Mai- 1st June 2004

Uzytkownik Biblioteki Uniwersyteckiej w Poznaniu – jego potrzeby, poziom zadowolenia i satysfakcji [Poznan Uniwersity Library’s user and its needs and satisfaction survey – LIBRA], Conference paper, Czytelnik czy klient? [User or client?] Conference organized by University Library in Torun, the 4-6th December 2003