Frustrated from trying to remember specific URLs needed for a particular class?
Perhaps the required website is bookmarked on your home PC, so while you sit at an Angell Hall computer racking your brain for the exact address, valuable time is wasted.
To combat this, the University Library is sponsoring an easily accessible program, called MyLibrary, designed to organize and personalize virtually any website from all computer sites on campus.
The service went online at my.lib.umich.edu as a pilot program yesterday.
“This program is going to be useful for both students and faculty,” said Kitty Bridges, head of the Science Library.
Students and faculty can log on to MyLibrary with their uniqname and kerberos password or library password.
First-time users must fill out a brief questionnaire that asks for input about the user”s interests, allowing the program to suggest specific links relating to one”s concentration.
“Before any further development, we want to know what aspects people find useful,” Bridges said.
The software needed to launch this program was given to the University of Michigan by the University of North Carolina, following a trend of other colleges nationwide that are trying to expand the accessibility of websites, said Bridges.
“A survey pops up after someone logs in for the third time. They will ask simple questions so that I can collect a couple focus groups and find out if the program is successful,” said Maria Bonn, a senior associate librarian.
MyLibrary may primarily fulfill academic needs, but it does not exclude personal uses.
“The user may customize this program and search the Internet without having to place bookmarks on each page,” said library spokeswoman Wanda Monroe.
The convenience and usage of this program stretch beyond the campus boundaries, Monroe said.
“When students go away on spring break or over the summer, chances are they do not remember URLs. MyLibrary allows them to easily access these websites,” she said.
The number of users the site draws, as well as the criticism it may face, will determine its future revisions.
“For a lot of my classes they are many URLs I need to use and they are pretty long. I will definitely use this program because of its convenience,” said Engineering freshman Lynne Gratz.