Philosophy

Why would libraries be interested in implementing an Intranet? The idea of an Intranet is a "technology that permits your organization to define itself as a whole entity, a group, a family, where everyone knows their role, and everyone is working on the improvement and health of the organization" (Hinrichs, 1997, 1). The focus on the organizational definition is useful to libraries. If there is a collective will that needs to be communicated to all employees the strategic objectives become easier to achieve. Many case studies, including some library examples (Boegin, 1997; Callaway, 1998; Commings, 1997; Hattery, 1997; Masters, 1996; Ragan, 1997; and Slawsky & Flemming, 1997), focus attention on information management within an organization. As Knoblauch states;

The corporate Intranet provides a tremendous opportunity for librarians to deliver comprehensive information services. It is now practical to extend enterprise-wide desktop access to the library collections as well as to corporate knowledge as recorded in business-critical documents such as policies and procedures, competitive intelligence, research reports, and quality documentation (Knoblauch, 1997, 73).

The size of an organization also has much to do with the implementation of an Intranet. Many large corporate libraries and academic libraries use an Intranet to facilitate better information service (Boegin, 1997; Callaway, 1998; Commings, 1997; Hattery, 1997; Masters, 1996; Ragan, 1997; and Slawsky & Flemming, 1997). The shear size of some corporations span borders and have populations in excess of 75,000 employees. Dissemination of information in this kind of environment is truly enormous for the corporate librarian. Achieving the goal of access to all users in these examples demands a strong reasoning for implementation. Many corporations, because of their global nature, require a global approach information management. Organizations also demand local content development . The means to spreading that local endeavour requires some communication medium and the Intranet is one such tool. As Knoblauch points out,

A number of organizations use the Internet to integrate document management and full-text retrieval technology with traditional services and principles of library management to improve productivity and reduce costs (Knoblauch, 1997, 73).

Just as corporations use the Intranet to facilitate better communication and functionality libraries also use Intranets to reduce overlapping of processes and increase efficiency in their objectives. One example of this is the implementation of an Intranet-based library help system at Ann Arbor District Library in Ann Arbor , MI. (Boegin, 1997). In this case study the library created a Helpdesk Web site that enabled the staff (170) to search a knowledge base for answers to systems problems, make work requests, log new incident reports, and create a tracking database all with the use of an Intranet. This approach improved the System department's work flow by making it more organized and efficient. Staff experiencing problems with a systems related issue could log a report on the Intranets Helpdesk HTML form and submit it to the systems department for advice.

New incident reports are retrieved into an editing form that allows us to change the item's status to "open", assign it to a particular technician, document the resolution of the problem and fill out statistical information about how long the problem was "open" and how much time was spent working on it. When the incident report is completed, its status is changed to "closed" and it remains in the database (Boegin, 1997, 25).

Any recurring problems would then be logged and a technician would submit a technical note that would explain the problem and its solution; an Intranet FAQ for systems problems. In this particular case study the Helpdesk Web site not only provided "knowledge base" and "incident report" databases, it also included a directory of library staff, emergency contact information for technical support, information about the role of technology in the library's strategic plan and information about ongoing technology related projects. Thus, the role of an Intranet within an organization, whether it be private or public, is to not only manage the library more efficiently, but also to better facilitate the functions of the library. As Sloan reported, KPMG's David Parlby felt that ,

Unless companies embark on an Intranet project with a clear and realistic objectives, and see the end product as a means of revolutionising their business processes rather than simply aiding administration, they are not realising its full potential (Sloan, 1998, 11).

Libraries are in the business of providing information in all its various formats. Intranets facilitate this function of location and retrieval by making it available electronically and if unavailable electronically, then speeding up the process of inter-library loan or document delivery. However, the ease in which an Intranet is created and the power it enables organizations to easily and inexpensively share information there is a price, and that price is the problem of organizing the information so that its intended audience can benefit. "The challenge of the Intranet for librarians is the opportunity to continue to do what we've always done - take a leadership role in the management of information in the new age" (Griffith, 1996, 10).

Intranets represent a new platform for remaking some of the core functions of libraries, including acquisitions and processing, cataloguing, inventory control, public relations communication, and public service. If an Intranet was fully exploited within a library a transformation would take place in the organizational structure of the library itself ; the library's hierarchy would tend to be flatter; a constant dynamic structure would be evident ; and the recognition of the library's intellect and knowledge base amongst it employees would be seen. An issue of special interest to those who work in the corporate environment is the inclusion of the librarian in the design, delivery, and management of the Intranet.

Assertiveness and collaboration are two requirements of librarians in successfully handling their organization's information technology politics. Keeping eyes and ears open is important, being aware of goings on in and outside the organization (Hattery, 1997, 1).

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Contents

Table of Contents

Part 1: Intranets Philosophy Structure Part 2: Intranet Installation Basic Network Configuration Server Client Publishing Applications Security Conclusion References