World-Wide Web: Using Distributed Hypertext to create a Scientific Virtual Library

Alastair G. Smith
Department of Library and Information Studies
Victoria University of Wellington

From: Proceedings of the Conference of the Association of Scientific and Technical Communicators, Wellington 7-8 July 1994.

Abstract

Introduction

This paper will briefly explain what World Wide Web (WWW) is, examine the kinds of information services that are being provided to the scientific community with it, examine its use by NZ scientists, and discuss some reasons why WWW is a useful information system for science.

Sections

• What is world wide web?
• How is World Wide Web used in science?
• WWW in the NZ scientific community
• Reasons for WWW being used in science

Conclusion: WWW and the Virtual Library

In the 19th century, print-based libraries faced a crisis as it became apparent that librarians could no longer provide access through simple author title catalogues and by being familiar with their bookstock. As a result, the cataloguing and classification tools that provide the intellectual framework for today's libraries were developed. Ultimately for the Internet to become a true "Virtual Library", the organisational and navigational tools equivalent to the cataloguing and classification systems in print libraries will have to be developed. WWW will be one of these tools, but will not be the complete solution.