Date: Sat, 02 Sep 2000 15:07:10 -0400
From: Gerry Mckiernan (Iowa State U.) <GMCKIERN_at_gwgate.lib.iastate.edu>
Subject: MetaText: Customizable, Interactive, Multimedia WebBooks from
NetLibrary
MetaText: Customizable, Interactive, Multimedia WebBooks from
NetLibrary
In browsing the NetLibrary site [ http://www.netlibrary.com/ ] today, I
have discovered that it has established a most innovative new service / product
called MetaText [ http://www.metatext.com/ ]
<QUOTE>
MetaText titles are Web-based textbooks enhanced with interactive and
multimedia content and surrounded by tools for communication and study.
[ http://www.netlibrary.com/metatext.asp ]
</QUOTE>
<QUOTE>
At its simplest, a MetaText is a textbook which is read through a web browser.
The web environment, however, allows a MetaText to do much more than a
paper text. For example, a MetaText can include web links for more information,
multimedia content, a glossary that pronounces words, self-grading quizzes,
notes from your instructors and classmates, chat rooms, bulletin boards and
just about anything else that can exist on the Web.
[ http://www.metatext.com/learnmore/faq.htm ]
</QUOTE>
<QUOTE>
[MetaText books may be customized] by adding, removing, and rearranging
textbooks, primary sources, and articles
[ http://www.netlibrary.com/metatext.asp ]
</QUOTE>
The main site [ http://www.metatext.com/ ] provides further description
of MetaText, offers access to demo as well as free sample MetaText titles,
and market research and field reports.
I wish to emphasize that MetaText titles have *multimedia* components,
a new interest of mine
[http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Web4Lib/archive/0008/0304.html ] and are
*customizable*, another recent interest
[ http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Web4Lib/archive/0007/0347.html] .
[BTW: NetLibrary has filed for an IPO with the SEC for an $82 million initial
stock offering
[ http://
www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/09/biztech/articles/02netlibrary-ipo.html]
[A free account is required to access this article]
This posting is for informational purposes only and does not constitute
an endorsement.
/Gerry McKiernan
Multimedia-Customized Librarian
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50011
gerrymck_at_iastate.edu
Received on Sun Sep 10 2000 - 12:28:49 EDT