Website Accessibility

For my Information Technology course, our first assignment is to create a Blog. Now, I have to admit that this is my first one, so please be kind! We had to pick a topic on technology of some type, and one of the suggestions, website technology , intregued me. I am not a big techie, to say the least! However, I do have to use search engines alot at work to help patrons with their needs, and I know that, as a youth librarian, I will be asked by countless parents, grandparents, caregivers and children on what books do I reccomend. Website accessability is essential in this area, for many adults, let alone children, really do not know where to start. A parent may remember a favorite author that they would like to introduce to their child, but what if the child has to do an authors' report? Websites on these authors can be very helpful, but many do not have their own, personal website. If they do not, how does one find the information?
That is where I, the librarian, will come in handy. I can easily pull up lists of authors (Newbery and Caldecott winners; banned authors; best sellers, ect.), and I can have many suggestions as to helpful websites. Childrens' literature is not really a difficult area to investigate on the web, if you know where to start.
A great site to begin is www.ala.org. This site will guide you to many great childrens' books and authors. It is alos wonderful for general information on so many other books. A must to set to your favorites!
Another good one is www.mnstate.edu/cmc/Bibliographies/NewberyAuthorsAlphabetical.html. This has a nice breakdown of the award winners. www.carr.org/read/newberyauthors.html is another.
If you want a very good official authors' page, check out www.jeancraigheadgeorge.com. She has audio clips, project suggetions, q& a about her books, and helpful hints for children on how to write their own books.
If one wants information and photos of Laura Ingalls Wilder, then www.liwms.com is the best. This memorial society, which runs the LIW museum in DeSmet, SD, is full of great information of this classic author. Links to many other sites, including the other LIW homesites, are availiable.
Margurite Henry does not have an official page, but two links have alot of info on the author and the horse Misty. www.mistyofchincoteague.org/mhenry.html is good, as is www.imh.org/imh/bw/chinco.html, the Chincoteague pony home page.
These are just a few that I have discovered, and rather easily. I will be adding more in the near future! Happy reading!!