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Title:
Managing Your Internet and Intranet Services: The Information Professional's Guide to Strategy
Review:
Having just begun a new role with responsibility for the intranet in a
fast-growing company, I felt I needed all the help I could get in
beginning the challenge of creating an effective internal online
communications tool.
Peter Griffiths is Assistant Director, Communication Directorate at
the Home Office. He is responsible for library and information
services in the Home Office and Prison Service Headquarters, as well
as for intranet and internet publication, an internal reference
service, knowledge management and information support to the research
community.
This book is clearly and succinctly divided into thirteen chapters
which begin by covering the internet revolution and the importance of
the World Wide Web, the role of LIS professionals in online work, the
importance of a web presence for companies across all industries and
the generation of business through e-commerce. This first third of the
book outlines preparatory guidance required by readers who might have
been given the responsibility of producing an online presence, either
in the form of an external facing website, or as an intranet that can
only be viewed by colleagues internally.
Griffiths' focus lies predominantly with the internet: the middle
portion of this book consists of chapters dedicated to the webmaster
and the web team, organisation of the website, managing technical
service and "back-end" website technologies, taking care of
registration, publication, design and accessibility, and producing web
content. Key points lie in the section dedicated to ensuring
accessibility of websites to all users, as DDA laws have been passed
with a view to coming into effect in November this year.
From a personal point of view, I certainly found the chapter dedicated
to "Your intranet" to be the most useful in the book. As well as
covering basic ground (intranet potential, usage, portals and
knowledge management within an intranet) Griffiths also highlights
acceptable use policies and ongoing management of the intranet once
it's in place as well as providing a number of reference resources to
conclude the chapter.
Towards the end of the book, Griffiths has provided two invaluable
chapters. "Golden rules of web page content" is invaluable to both the
novice and experienced website manager alike. The final chapter is
entitled "Resource list" and refers to material already mentioned in
footnote format, and also to additional reference material, including
sources for legal and regulatory issues, standards and best practice,
and online resources for web professionals.
Although I did feel that this guide was tailored most specifically to
LIS professionals (particularly the second chapter, considering their
role within web work, and LIS skills) it also served as an extremely
useful resource for web professionals generally.The companion website
provided an updated list of online references, which I intend to refer
back to on a regular basis whilst implementing the intranet at work.
Free Pint Reviewer:
Lucy Akroyd works at Aspen Re in London, an insurance and reinsurance
company with offices in the US and Bermuda. She is responsible for the
Group intranet and websites, and has just embarked on an ambitious
overhaul of both the design and navigation of the intranet with a view
to introducing a content management system and extranet long-term. She
has worked in an online knowledge management capacity for the last
five years, having previously served as Web Editor at a small
management consultancy in Islington, North London.
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