School Libraries Online: Exploring Issues and Developments Through the IASL Web Site

Abstract

In Internet terms, the origins of the Web site of the International Association of School Librarianship are shrouded in the mists of antiquity. Way back at the beginning of 1995, I established IASL-LINK as an Internet listserv for the Association. Dr Jean Lowrie, a founder of IASL and then retiring as Executive Secretary, wanted a home page for IASL. I, too, thought we should have a home page and probably a full Web site. Others doubted that the Association had the resources to do this - or even that it should be done at all. Those of you who know Jean will know that she is persistent, and in this case she focused that persistence on me. I felt that establishing a Web site was a job for a bright young member of the Association, and so I kept hoping that "someone else" would do it. In the end, I lost patience just at the time Jean became very persistent. In November 1995 I created a home page for IASL, with eleven supporting pages, just to prove that it could be done. Thus it was that I found I was the Webmaster.