Eastern New Mexico University:http://www.enmu.edu/

The Land of Enchantment is known for White Sands, Four Corners, and the Carlsbad Caverns (to name a few fantastic places). This state, the 47th to be admitted to the Union, is New Mexico. The spring waters that provide a gateway into New Mexico on the eastern border gave name to Portales, the charming town which is home to Eastern New Mexico University. ENMU began in the 1920s when state funding was allocated for a new normal school.

The Golden Library on ENMU's campus is named after the second president, Floyd Golden, who guided the school during the 1940s. Golden's home page, framed by the University's branding, provides information and access to its services and resources within four columns of calming pastel colors. Each of the four columns, Resources, Services, Information, and Golden Highlights, has easily understandable and appropriate links. Worth noting is Resources, under which the patron finds Golden's Special Collections. Included here are the Jack Williamson Science Fiction Library and Oral Histories from Roosevelt County and eastern New Mexico that contain hundreds of pages of invaluable interviews from over fifty notable local figures.

Director Melveta Walker and staff provide a welcoming and refreshing gateway to the myriad of library services and information resources.

Black Hills State University:http://www.bhsu.edu/

The Coyote State, celebrated for its gold and four presidential granite faces*, is home to the Black Hills, the legendary oasis of pine-clad mountains. These hills are found in the 40th state admitted to the Union – better known as South Dakota. Located in the hub of the northern Black Hills is Spearfish, South Dakota, which in turn is the home of Black Hills State University. From its beginning in 1883 as Dakota Territorial Normal School, BHSU has been one of the premier educational centers in South Dakota. And the major resource center at BHSU is the E.Y. Berry Library-Learning Center.

The text and graphics on Berry's webpage utilize the University's yellow and green tones. Links for Reference Services including databases and Internet Resources including newspapers and government sites are listed under the prominently positioned message, "Live Reference Anywhere." The left column of links provides access to circulation, special collections, and partner sites information. The right column provides links such as, What's New, digital newspapers, and FAQs for ebooks. Two especially noteworthy links here are: 1) the Library Media Minor - a great first step into our profession; and 2) the LearningExpress (BHSU students only) - Test Preparation for PRAXIS, ACT, and GRE. While responding to the curricular needs of the students and faculty, the Berry Library also maintains several admirable special collections about the region. Included in the Special Collections are: the Cox Historical Collection; the Library of American Civilization; Leland D. Case Library of Western Historical Studies containing great resources related to the history of the Black Hills and surrounding area; The ARROW Native American materials; and most unusual is The A.D. Humbert Collection of Clay Tablets available online.

Although at first viewing, the front page appears somewhat busy; however, Scott Ahola, Interim Director, and the staff are to be commended for having a library webpage that definitely lives up to its motto, "Your Map to Information."

* Better known as Mount Rushmore

Otterbein College:http://www.otterbein.edu/

The Buckeye State derives its name from the Iroquois word meaning "good river." This land of the Good River is home to two of the library world's premier consortia, OCLC and OhioLINK. The former has become the foremost bibliographic database for libraries worldwide and the latter illustrates what an academic consortium can accomplish when it follows the idiom, strength in numbers. One of the academic libraries that contribute to the success of OhioLINK is Otterbein College, a private liberal arts college founded in 1847 that is located in Westerville, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio.

The Courtright Memorial Library homepage, branded in the College's red and light brown colors, presents traditional resource searching capabilities as well as the latest technological features. Framed search fields for books and articles are centrally located above the sections: Library Services, Seek Help/Get Information, Library Information, and Teaching and Learning. The right column contains links for: Ask a Librarian, E-News, Library News Blog, and the Library Newsletter. The Explore the Library Research Tutorial on the left provides patrons with assistance handling information in the Library and on the Internet. In addition, the three sections on making research more efficient and effective are easy to follow with the numerous graphics and cartoons.

Lois Szudy, the Library Director, and the Library staff maintain a user-friendly web page that reflects the Mission by providing access to resources that engage in and contribute to the teaching, learning and research needs of the entire Otterbein community. One final note - check out The Erin McKenzie Virtual Welcoming Space that promotes learning and discovery about how we listen, observe, reflect, and learn.

Wesley College: http://www.wesley.edu/

May Day finds us looking towards the state with the nicknames: The Diamond State, The Blue Hen State, and The Small Wonder. This Eastern Seaboard state's official nickname, The First State, reflects its status as being the first state to ratify the federal Constitution in December 7, 1787 - Delaware holds this distinction. Located on 50 acres in Dover is Wesley College, Delaware's oldest private college founded in 1873.

The Robert H. Parker Library was dedicated in 1970 and named for the late Robert Parker, President of Wesley College. The Library's homepage is accessible from the College's homepage – still noteworthy to mention. Graphics, set against the very distinctive blue of the College's branding, frame the Library's essential information, such as contact information, hours, library card particulars, etc. To the right of this information lies the Parker Library Menu containing links for various services and resources (e.g. InterLibrary Loan and databases). Centrally positioned and humorously nostalgic to mature library patrons is a picture of a card catalog cabinet that serves as the link to the online Delaware Library Catalog at Wesley College. In addition to the online catalog, patrons can access sections for research assistance, digital collections, 16 booklists, and much more. Take note of this feature - the catalog features a mirror site in Spanish.

Susan Matusak, the Director of the Libraries, and staff maintain a webpage that reflects a former president's acclamation that appears in the Friends of the Library section, "The Library is the heart of the College, pumping the life-blood into academic programs."

University of Denver: http://library.du.edu/

In 1880, 16 years after the Centennial State was admitted into the Union, the Colorado Seminary, which was originally founded in 1864, became the University of Denver (DU). Sitting in the shadows of the majestic Rocky Mountains, this 125-acre campus enjoys all the benefits of the sophisticated urban scene of Denver.

The Penrose Library cleverly employs terminology that reflects Colorado's rich history and geography: Peak is the Library catalog and Prospector is the union catalog of over 16 academic and public libraries including DU. The homepage's quartered layout provides easy access to its services and resources: Finding What You Need, Services, About the Library, and What's New. The left column of Quick Links provides access to patron accounts, the ability to ask research questions and suggest library purchases, and much more. Noteworthy features include the opportunity to test and evaluate electronic resources under consideration for purchase, and the numerous research tutorials including several assessment quizzes. The featured collections and online exhibits located in the Special Collections & Archives particularly worth visiting are: Historic Photographs of The University of Denver, Images of Pioneer Jewish Families, Colorado Women's College, and the Margaret Husted Culinary Collection.

Dean and Director Nancy Allen, the faculty and staff of Penrose Library use a webpage of subtle text and frame hues to provide exceptional support to the University of Denver community.

Alaska Pacific University: http://www.consortiumlibrary.org/

America's Last Frontier, our 49th state, has natural and majestic beauty throughout all of its 591,004 square miles. Alaska's largest city, Anchorage, is home to one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation, The Alaska Pacific University. This private, independent university was chartered as Alaska Methodist University in 1957, and in 1978, renamed Alaska Pacific University (APU) in order to reflect its mission and geographical location.

The Consortium Library, which opened in 1973, represents a joint library shared by both APU and The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). Its homepage provides easy access to its resources and services in four areas: Find Books, Find Articles, Research Help and Library Services. The Distance Learners' Edition section addresses its students' needs by providing helpful FAQs and Research Help that includes numerous streaming video clips.

Noteworthy features on this website are:

• the About the Library section which contains Library images, divided in galleries of specific areas;
• the Faculty Toolkit section which includes Article Alerts!, Creating Effective Library Research Assignments, Faculty Brochure, and much more;
• Featured Collections shared with UAA that showcase Alaska's social, political, cultural, and economic development in both print and online resources.

The stark white background with the understated use of color and images creates a user-friendly and visually pleasing website that is maintained by the Dean of the Consortium Library, Stephen J. Rollins, its faculty, and staff.

Dickinson State University: http://www.dickinsonstate.com/library.asp

The 39th state boasts some of our nation's most rugged natural beauty. North Dakota's sixth largest city is Dickinson, home to Dickinson State University. Established as Dickinson Normal School in 1916, this institution was granted its university status in 1987 and is now one of the 11 higher schools of education that comprise North Dakota's University System.

The Stoxen Library serves the University's students, faculty and staff as well as the residents living in the surrounding communities of southwestern North Dakota. The Library's webpage adapts quite well to the University's branding which includes royal blue background with splashes of vibrant colors. The links for collections and online resources are listed on the left and graphics are on the right. The centrally-placed Research Tools by Subject search menu stands out due to its somewhat larger font size and its light yellow text box. More Helpful Links are listed below this menu.

Take a look at the helpful online service documents:

• Distance Education services
• Copyright information (PDF)
• Freshman Seminar guide about learning spaces and online databases (PDF)

Most noteworthy is the Library's Common Grounds blog, a forum for public service announcements to the patrons of Dickinson State University's Stoxen Library, maintained by the library staff. Great way to keep connected.

Before leaving the Stoxen Library whose current Interim Library Director is Rita Ennen, take note of the fact that the official name of this Library, built in 1961, is Matilda Stoxen Library, named for longtime librarian Matilda Stoxen. An exceptional tribute to our profession.

Prescott College Library: http://www.prescott.edu/Library/

The New Year finds us in the 48th state where tourists visit Tombstone, the Painted Desert at the Petrified Forest National Park and the Grand Canyon. Arizona is also home to Prescott College located in the mountain town of Prescott. This independent, liberal arts college was established in 1966 by the Ford Foundation which gathered a group of national educators and challenged them to create the ideal college for the future.

The Prescott College Library networks with more than 30 libraries in Yavapai County. The Library website maintains the College's web branding and provides a wealth of online information as well as access to its resources.

Noteworthy online resources to check out are:

• An excellent online Reference Collection which also includes almost two dozen links to Arizona Resources
• Handouts that cover citation styles, research assistance, and orientation guides
• Special Links that link class syllabi and student-designed websites

Library Director Eileen Chalfoun and the Library's staff are to be commended for providing a compact and appealing website that services their Community.

Manhattanville College: http://www.mville.edu/Library/

As we prepare to bid 2007 adieu, let’s take a look at this year’s last website of the month. December finds us in Purchase, New York visiting the website of Manhattanville College Library. North of New York City near the Connecticut state border, Manhattanville College began as a Catholic boarding school for girls in 1841 in Manhattan, but now, after several location moves and rebuilding, is co-educational and non-denominational with graduate schools in business and education.

The Library’s homepage mirrors Mville’s homepage – text and graphics are framed within the outline of Mville’s campus landmark Castle, the former estate of Whitelaw Reid. Multicolored text boxes and colorful photos have a stylish flair on the homepage and on most of the linked documents throughout. The search box for the catalog and databases as well as off campus access & search help is centrally located within its own colorful frame. All services and support information are accessible from the homepage – a great help for patrons who often become frustrated searching for resources and answers.

Check out the great online documents for Research help and Special Collections. Don’t overlook the well-designed newsletter (PDF).

Considering the quantity of information on the homepage, Library Director, Rhonna Goodman and staff have created an exceptionally accessible and user friendly resource for their patrons.

Columbia College: http://www.columbiacollegesc.edu/

The Capital of Southern Hospitality (that’s Columbia, South Carolina!) is home to one of the top ranked comprehensive undergraduate colleges in the South. Columbia College founded in 1854 as Columbia Female College by representatives of the South Carolina Methodist Conference continues its original mission "to educate young women for fruitful service to church, state and nation."

The J. Drake Edens Library, named after one of the College’s benefactors, provides a welcoming homepage of its services. Six sections lead the user to resources: Find Books, Find Articles, Remote Access, Find WWW Resources, Library Resources Guides and Help for Students and Faculty. The left column of links provides informational support, e.g. Library Hours, FAQs, and Locating Materials. Check out the link that provides updated photos of the Vandiver Reference Center renovation project – a great way to keep patrons informed. The homepage’s layout, font and colors reflect the nature of the women’s college it supports.

John C. Pritchett, Director of the Library and the staff are to be commended for demonstrating Columbia’s renowned Southern Hospitality via the Library’s homepage.

Christopher Newport University: : http://www.cnu.edu/

We sail into Newport News, Virginia this October and take a look at a relatively new institution. Christopher Newport University was founded in 1960 as a two-year branch of the College of William and Mary. CNU became independent in 1977 and a university in 1992. The beautiful campus is home to the Captain John Smith Library. Both School and Library were named for explorers; the former honors one of England's greatest sea-captains connected with early Virginia enterprise, the latter an adventurer, explorer, and author, who landed with the colonists at Jamestown in 1607.

The Library's homepage has a visually pleasing layout, reminiscent of the alluring charms of the sea with its bold, nautical blue color and sailboat icons (the University's branding). Quick links to the Library's services are listed on the left. To the right are four sections, Find, Services, Research Assistance and About, that provide easy access to the Library's services and support information. Within these four sections are many online documents that keep the patron connected and informed: Research Assistance Request includes tips and a request form to set up a meeting with a librarian; Citing Research Materials contains the top eight style manuals from ACS to Turabian; twenty-seven Info-to-Go handouts; and the CNU Library Blog.

University Librarian Mary Sellen and the staff of the Captain John Smith Library as well as the entire CNU Community are currently awaiting the completion of its new library, tentatively scheduled for December 2007. A preview PowerPoint presentation on the homepage provides a glimpse of the new building's interior and exterior.

Lewis-Clark State College: http://www.lcsc.edu/

Don’t blink – you’re not seeing double. Idaho has also honored Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with a namesake college. Established as a normal school in 1893 on 10 acres of a barren, sandy hill in Lewiston, this institution championed its pioneering spirit of discovery and exploration when it was renamed Lewis-Clark State College in 1971.

The Library’s homepage, a mix of graphic and text, provides links to all services. The centrally located search box for the Library catalog is flanked on the left by more than a dozen links, such as Frequently Asked Questions, Research Tools (By Subject) and both a Library map and a virtual Library Tour. To the right is a What’s New textbox that highlights employment opportunities, a reminder to Instant Message the Information Desk for assistance and the current hours – the patrons must appreciate the detailed listing of hours and exceptions for the entire semester.

Director Sue Niewenhous and the Library staff provide access to the Library’s resources and services most commendably. Check out the following up-to-date features:

• Distance & Outreach Students receive assistance from a comprehensive guide (PDF) that provides necessary information for these often neglected patrons.
• Patrons can email the Reference Desk or IM (Instant Message) the LCSC Information Desk at lcsclibrarian using Yahoo!, AIM, Google or MSN.
• An Online Suggestion Box gives the Library’s users an opportunity to submit recommendations for purchase, register complaints and send compliments – hopefully the box overflows with this last item!

Champlain College: http://www.champlain.edu/

August takes us northeast to our 14th state named after its scenic and historic Green Mountains. Famous for its legendary fall foliage and its delectable maple syrup, Vermont's largest city, Burlington, is home to Champlain College, founded in 1878. This picturesque private institution overlooking Lake Champlain was ranked by U.S. News America's Best Colleges 2007 in the top tier of the Best Comprehensive colleges in the North. The Champlain College Library certainly contributes to this distinction.

The Champlain College Library is located in the Robert E. and Holly D. Miller Information Commons (MIC). This academic center integrates the resources of a traditional library with advanced technologies. Library Director Janet Cottrell and the staff provide a visually pleasant homepage. The links clearly identify the Library's services and resources to their patrons. The Find sections as well as the Research Advice, Library Services and For Faculty sections illustrate the Library's mission as stated by Cottrell in the latest annual report (PDF): "...we secure and deploy the best available technology to support students and faculty in their information needs...."

Take note of two helpful online links:

• Under the Research Advice section, Starting a Research Project provides sound guidelines for the hesitant researcher
• Under the Library Services section, click on Reference to find the link for contacting librarians for assistance. Note the option for being able to chat using Meebo - now that's keeping up with your students!

Christian Brothers University: http://www.cbu.edu/

Midsummer finds us in the Volunteer State. When we head towards the hometown of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Graceland, we discover Plough Library on the 75-acre wooded campus of Christian Brothers University, located in the heart of midtown Memphis, Tennessee. The Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools, a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded Christian Brothers College in 1871. In 1990 the College became a university; twenty years earlier in 1970 the College became co-educational, which was only one year after the construction of Plough Library.

The homepage of the Plough Library (whose director's position is currently vacant) presents a helpful layout of the services and support that a patron welcomes and expects. Note two items in the section entitled Get Research Help: an interactive tutorial – Research Road Trip and a quick guide – Citing Sources.

Under the section What’s New, two more noteworthy items deserve attention:

• The Same Page (pdf), Plough Library’s Newsletter, an excellent and enjoyable read for the CBU Community
• What's New at the Library blog, a nice example of keeping up with current technology

Before leaving Plough Library, check out the Brother I. Leo O'Donnell Archives which provides a glimpse of the Library’s unique, in-house contents.

Southern Utah University, Gerald R. Sherratt Library: http://www.li.suu.edu/

The natural wonders of the Beehive State include Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. But our 45th state can be proud of other attractions, namely, the Gerald R. Sherratt Library on the campus of Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. The 109 year old SUU which began as a teacher training institution now serves as the region's student-centered, comprehensive institute of higher learning. Its library is named after the university president who served from 1982 to 1997.

Sherratt's home page provides a list of user-friendly links on the left side while on the right side the revolving, half-page photographs of the facility and its users are most inviting. The About the Library link leads the user to almost 20 policy documents from Archives & Records Policy to Wireless Notebook Circulation Policy as well as several reports including the impressive Annual Report. The Research Guides link contains a respectable listing of online documents.

Diana Graff, Dean of Library Services, and the Sherratt staff need to be commended for these noteworthy digital collections:

• Mountain West Digital Library - Utah's consortium of digital collections from universities, colleges, public libraries, museums and historical societies.
• Voices of the Colorado Plateau - an incredible virtual exhibit containing recordings and photographs that document life on the Colorado Plateau.
• More than a dozen Utah specific manuscript and digital collections, including the Michael O. Leavitt Digital Archive.

The originally featured website of the month of May is currently undergoing a total redesign at this time. The review that had been listed is no longer accurate, so we decided to remove it. Please visit us June 1 as we travel to another one of our great states.

East Central University: http://www.ecok.edu/

Let the wind sweep you down the plain to one of the three normal schools established in 1909 in the Sooner State, Oklahoma. Ada is where you will find East Central University known for its pioneering efforts to promote access to handicapped students. Adrianna Lancaster is the director of Linsheid Library, named after Adolph Linsheid, a former University president.

The Library's home page, framed by ECU's bright orange trademark color, presents clear and direct access to its resources. Linsheid Library's website design and contents definitely reflect the mission and vision of the University itself - being Oklahoma's premier student-centered regional university. The online catalog is well-situated in a text box above an entrance photo of the Library's entrance. The three main sections: Resources, Library Services and About the Library, provide comprehensive coverage.

Noteworthy online features include: self-guided materials in PDF that provide research help; Library modules that contain Library terms and web overview; research guides for 24 disciplines that highlight in-house resources as well as Internet sites.

Lewis & Clark College: http://www.lclark.edu/

March finds CLS heading towards the West coast state nicknamed the Beaver State, home of Mt. Hood and Crater Lake – Oregon. Once in Portland you'll find The Aubrey R. Watzek Library on the campus of Lewis & Clark College which was founded as The Albany Collegiate Institute in 1867.

Director Jim Kopp oversees the Library and a website which provides excellent access to its services and collections. The welcoming photographs centrally positioned on the Library's homepage are flanked by two columns of links to information, Special Collections, the catalog and a Library News section that contains a recently enhanced (February 2007) listing of new acquisitions.

Most notable digital features on Watzek's website include:

• an impressive Archives - high-quality digital resources of specialized collections including the most extensive collection of printed materials known to exist on the Lewis and Clark Expedition;
• the Visual Resources Collection - a teaching resource collection of several thousand digital images;
• online tutorials - well-designed and ranging from 1-2 minutes that cover renewing materials online, requesting items, performing journal searches and importing citations.

Director Kopp and the Watzek Library staff should be commended for the use of cutting edge technology - a noteworthy fact recognized on the College's website.

Bradley University: http://library.bradley.edu/

Our first website for 2007 comes from the Cullom-Davis Library on the campus of Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, where Barbara Galik serves as Executive Director of the Library. This user-friendly website holds its own among the Prairie State's almost two-hundred institutes of higher learning.

The pleasing two-tone design has minimum graphics for easy loading. Prominent features on this homepage include a centrally positioned QUICK SEARCH field, easily identifiable Library information links, and two columns of resource and obtaining materials links. Two features on the lower right reflect the Director's philosophy of interaction and participation. The first feature, Talk Back, provides the links for the Library's blogs and wikis as well as other means of communication. The second feature, Did You Know?, provides a rotating advertisement that highlights special aspects of the collection.

Most noteworthy is the Director's blog, accessible from the homepage and humorously entitled, "Can we talk? Blogging with Barbara, the Library Director." This refreshing feature illustrates her keeping up with the younger (and maybe not so young) patron base.

Two from New Hampshire:

While New Hampshire, the Granite State, may not have a large number of college and small university libraries, it does offer two sites that are worthy of your review.

Both sites are characterized by a most tasteful and effective use of colors and graphics, and they feature as well straightforward access to library resources and services through uncluttered pages.

Daniel Webster College in Nashua - http://www.dwc.edu/library/index.shtml
The Anne Bridge Baddour Library (whose director's position is currently vacant) features a colorful shot of the library interior on the homepage. The site offers a very nice feature that is not typically common for academic libraries-the ability to conduct multiple searches directly from the homepage. Thus, on the homepage, users are able to search for books, articles, full-text journals, submit an interlibrary loan request, and ask a question of the staff. This greatly streamlines the information gathering process for users and prevents users from becoming lost in a maze of pages.

Saint Anselm College in Manchester - http://www.anselm.edu/library/
Joe Constance is Librarian at Geisel Library. The library's site is noteworthy for a striking use of colors and graphics. The homepage facilitates user access by focusing on major areas such as finding books and more, finding articles and databases, and obtaining research help. A particularly valuable feature is a rotating new bookshelf where viewers are able to see the jackets of books new to the library together with two catalog searches. The library is to be commended for its efforts promoting greater use of books.

College of Saint Mary: http://www.csm.edu/Academics__Majors/Library/

For the next two months, The Cornhusker State, Nebraska, is our featured state. Students, faculty, and others affiliated with the College of Saint Mary in Omaha should find their library's web site to be quite user-friendly and effective (according to the page, the director's position is currently vacant).

The site employs an aesthetically pleasing combination of blue and beige with an appropriate degree of contrast. The generally blue text on the beige background is both attractive and quite legible, and the pages contain a good balance between text and open space. Pages are nicely framed, which gives the viewer an impression of self-containment and a situation under control. Confirming this perception are the manageable and reasonable number of options available to users together with a relative lack of jargon. Pages have headings such as the catalog, resources, services, hours, off-campus users, policies, and staff. As a result, users should have no or limited difficulty navigating around the pages. While the range of resources and services is not over-simplified, neither is it unnecessarily complex and confusing.

Be sure to check out the pages at http://www.csm.edu/Academics__Majors/Library/.

Montana State University-Northern: http://www.msun.edu/infotech/library/

The next state featured is Montana, Big Sky Country. While the choice was difficult, it's worth your while to take a look at the site of Montana State University-Northern's Vande Bogart Library (http://www.msun.edu/infotech/library/). Cynthia Harrison serves as Director.

The content and formats of the pages give the distinct impression that the library focuses consistently on student needs and preferences. The links are precise and easy to understand, with a great deal of useful information pulled together without reinventing the wheel. Check out the links to the Coffee Cart menu as well as the MSUN Student Web Page. Especially noteworthy is the How Do I? page, which contains a number of neat features such as links to vendor database tutorials.

The homepage is aesthetically pleasing in its reflection of the school colors, with the colors reversed when clicking on links from the sidebar. Finally, a new image appears each time the page is renewed.

Millsaps College: http://library.millsaps.edu/library/

With the arrival of spring, we head to The Magnolia State, Mississippi. The spotlight is on the Millsaps-Wilson Library of Millsaps College (http://library.millsaps.edu/library/) in Jackson. Tom Henderson is College Librarian

The homepage is characterized by three main sections-Search Tools, Information & Services, and Getting help-in addition to contact information, library news, and commonly used forms. In addition, there is a judicious use of graphics and a well-coordinated color scheme in addition to the use of tabs as links on the subpages.

Northwestern College: http://nwc.nwc.edu/index.php?id=687

Our attention now shifts to the North Star State, the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, or Minnesota. In St. Paul, let's visit the Web page of Northwestern College's Berntsen Library, whose director is Ruth McGuire. You can connect to the page at http://nwc.nwc.edu/index.php?id=687. The site makes highly judicious use of image rollovers to provide a good sense of the library. The pages typically are characterized by a combination of concise, useful information and an appropriate amount of open space. The user, whether experienced or not, can navigate easily through the site by the use of only seven categories—the catalog, databases, Web gateway, about us, guides, contact the library, and hours. It's never difficult to quickly get to your next destination.

William Woods University: http://www.williamwoods.edu/category.asp?73

2006 brings us to the “Show Me” state, Missouri, and we take pleasure in featuring the Web page of William Woods University in Fulton (http://www.williamwoods.edu/category.asp?73). The Library Director is Erlene Dudley.

The page is characterized by three noteworthy characteristics: 1. it is very aesthetically pleasing due to its tasteful use of colors and placement of boxes without giving the page a boxy look or feeling; 2. the page contains a most effective balance between the amount of text and blank space on each page; and 3. the number of options available to the user is not overwhelming, as it consists of four sub-pages dealing with library resources and an equal number of sub-pages dealing with services and general information.

Michigan, the Wolverine State, is known for a number of college and small university libraries, and we are pleased to feature one of them this month.

You'll enjoy taking a look at the Web pages (http://www.aquinas.edu/library) for Woodhouse Library of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. Francine Paolini and Shellie Jeffries serve as Acting Co-Directors.

The color scheme is aesthetically pleasing and may be seasonal as the pages convey a strong autumn look and feel. As a result, the pages are attractive and welcoming, with the Librarian Pick of the Month a prominent feature. Fewer than a dozen buttons guide users to all areas of library resources and services. Connecting is easy and graphics load quickly. Virtually every page contains a link back to the home page, which makes for easy navigation. An interesting feature is a link to the syllabus for the library's GE103 course—an introduction to information literacy.

This month, we visit The Bay State-Massachusetts. Our site of the month is that of the Emmanuel d'Alzon Library (http://www.assumption.edu/dept/library/libraryindex.html) at Assumption College in Worcester, with Dawn Thistle as Director of Library Services. The page is segmented in such a way as to quickly direct the user to the resources or services needed, and it contains a balanced mix of text with graphics. However, the main feature of interest is its effective use of drop down menus that enable users to conduct quick searches in the catalog, frequently used databases, or full-text journal locator.

The main pages for institutions of higher education, corporations, and other organizations or agencies typically contain one or more drop down menus to guide users to the appropriate area. However, libraries seem to make relatively little use of these menus on their pages. Therefore, we offer this site to promote greater consideration of the appropriate use of drop down menus by college and small university libraries.