The Art of Storytelling

Reviewed By Jennifer Harrington

This storytelling website is published by StarSpot Mediaworks, Inc. and has received numerous awards and honors including Forbes Favorite and Top 100 Web Sites and featured on several national news shows. The site offers users basic information on storytelling with extensive links to related storytelling websites that would be useful to professional storytellers, librarians, teachers, and parents. There are four main links with a multitude of sublinks under each. The links and their sublinks are alphabatized which makes for easier reading and location. The opportunity to receive a free newsletter is offered on the main page of this site, all one must do is enter an e-mail address. The links all came up quickly and were accurate, which was greatly appreciated. I spend an extensive amount of time at this site and could have easily stayed much longer. The listing of links/sublinks allows the user to have quick and easy access to "a virtual library resource center for educators and students, librarians and their patrons, families, businesses and just about anyone exploring the Web for valuable research information." Specific related links for each of the groups of users mentioned in the above quote are included throughout the main page of this site with explanation of each. The Librarian's Link was my particular favorite area of this site. It offered pertinent information in five areas including education, publications, connections, library roles, internet, and issues. The sublinks to these sites went on and on... One I really liked was the School Libraries on the Web which listed links to an alphabatized listing of countries which one could select for another listing of school libraries to make a virtual visit to. This website offers a non-stop listing of storytelling and related sites that are well written, organized, and pertinent to the art of storytelling. The main page deals specifically with storytelling with all links and sublinks leading off in different directions which tie into storytelling. The site is almost an information overload because it seems to be never ending. Advertisements plague the top of each page, which I found personally unattractive and distracting. I was unable to locate a listing or source page for the information given on the main pages, or the last date the page was updated. I would use this website as a Library Media Specialist and a as Storyteller. I would recommend it highly to others.

Reviewed By Mary L. Jones

Audience: This website is suitable for librarians, professional educators, college graduate and undergraduate students, anyone teaching the art of storytelling, parents, and even to advanced students in high school. Purpose: The purpose of this website is to provide the user with access to a variety of topical resources and links to information pertaining to the whole range of storytelling. It is a part of the StartSpot Network, which is a part of the LibrarySpot.com domain. Accuracy: The information contained on this website has been compiled by a team of journalist, educators, librarians, engineers and business people from a variety universities with graduate degrees in the fields of journalism, library science, and management. Authority: The information on this website is authoritative and reliable in that it draws from an experienced team of editors with a combined range of experience from working in schools, libraries, media, IT, brand management and design, including work at Boise Cascade, Cahners, MGI, Comcast, Crain Communications, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Time Warner, the Peace Corps, etc. Relative Value: The site is valuable because it has pertinent information on the basics of how to tell a story, links to other sites to obtain stories, lesson plan guides, online stories, activities, links to contacts with other professional storytellers, and 120 links which make up The Storyteller’s Ring. It also has extra helps on the website like reference desk links, reading room links, library shelf links, other online library links, and current library news. Objectivity: The information contained on this site is not biased. The stories that can be accessed through the links provided cover all genres. Style: The level of writing is on the intermediate/college/professional levels. The information obtained can be simple to complex depending upon the user’s selection. Arrangement: The information is arranged topically with readily accessible links to other relevant information listed within each specific topic. Format: This is a multi-formatted site because some of the information and stories are interactive, is available in audio format, and in print format. Physical Attributes: The layout of website is easy to browse and look upon. It is not cluttered with ‘pop-up” banner advertisements, or too many built-in advertisements. The interactive sections are not too “busy” with excess graphics. The quality of the screen is easy on the eye without loud colors and graphics. Cost: There is no fee to access this website’s information. An item that the user may choose to buy is the only thing that cost on this site and the other site inks. Special Features: A special feature on this site is links to other Spots such as the BookSpot.com; GeneologySpot.com; HomeworkSpot.com; MuseumSpot.com; and The StartSpot Network. Information Retrieval: The information on this website is easy to retrieve because it all topical. The information on some of the story sites is indexed alphabetically and some by genre.

Reviewed By: Karen Sowers

Credibility: The author of this site is Barry McWilliams who is an ordained Teaching Elder at Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church. His position and bias is evident in the links and topics on the site. He also has an interest in graphic design which is also evident in the unique design and great colors and effects on the site. He provides no specific educational credentials and instead chooses to focus on his accomplishments as a missionary and church leader. He has worked for Safeway as a checker since 1979. Timliness: The website shows a copyright of 1997 on the storytelling page but 2002 on the Homepage. It does not show the last time the site was updated but the material does not seem date in any way. Followthrough: The mailing address and personal e-mail are included on the site for easy contact. Authority: This site provides a collective list of links that he feels are important. There is not much in the way of notable authors but some storyteller links. Many Amazon.com sites. The site looks professional so one must read behind the lines to see the bias and the lack of credible contributors. It is a truly comprehensive list and provides numerous links to storytellers from around the world. Accuracy: It does appear accurate in that he does not pretend to be a professional, only a person that loves stories. The author gathers the information and provides the links and information. Each article must be judged for accuracy on its own standing. Paper form: No, except for the contributed articles. Summary: A number of the links are to personal webpage contributors, people without much evident authority except their love of stories and they want to share them and their philosophies in a forum for discussion. Some are shared through travel and some through classics. Overall, I found the website interesting and useful.

Reviewed By: Lauren Zachos

Website Reviews Assignment www.eldrbarry.net “The Art of Story Telling” Accuracy: Is the information reliable and error-free? There are some capitalization/ punctuation errors. It is always difficult to determine the reliability of a resource if the site is made up primarily of links, which is the case here. Is there an editor or someone who verifies/checks the information? There is not an editor or someone that checks the information supplied by this site besides the creator, Barry McWilliams. If one serves as the editor as well as the creator, there is a chance that the page is not managed efficiently. One tends to overlook one’s own mistakes. Authority: Is there an author? There is an author, Barry McWilliams. Is the page signed? The page is signed and an email address is given and he is a minister. Is the author qualified? An expert? The author is degreed: Wasson High School, Colorado Springs (1968) Bachelor of Arts. Covenant College (1972) Masters of Divinity, Covenant Theological Seminary (1975) His background is in religion, but I am not sure this makes him an authority on storytelling. As a teacher though, one becomes a storyteller. He has 20 years experience as a Teaching Elder in small P. C. A. congregations (including 12 years as an Associate Pastor; three years as an Interim Pastor; and four years as an Assistant Pastor) doing a wide range of teaching and pastoral work. Who is the sponsor? Although it does not state who the sponsors are, it looks as if Amazon.com and Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church sponsor Mr. McWilliams’s site. Is the sponsor of the page reputable? How reputable?Amazon.com is very reputable, and I would be afraid to doubt the validity of a church as a sponsor. Is there a link to information about the author or the sponsor? Yes, there is a link to information about the sponsor, a resume, information about his teachings and travels. The user can find out the hours and services of the church and search for books using an Amazon.com search box located on the site. Is there a link to information about the author or the sponsor? The user can email the author and can also find out about trips, teachers and family members of the author . Objectivity: Does the information show a minimum of bias? There is consistent reference to church. Is the page designed to sway opinion? This is an informative site; there is a religious overtone though. Is there any advertising on the page? Amazon.com and the Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church are both receiving a “plug” on the site. Currency: Is the page dated? The site is dated 2002. If so, when was the last update? It does not designate the last date of revision. How current are the links? Have some expired or moved? His site changed to “.net” instead of “.com”; other than that, the links I tried did work. Coverage: What topics are covered? How to tell stories, stories that can be told, materials/ curriculum for Bible studies, how to contribute to his mission trip to Uganda. What does this page offer that is not found elsewhere? He gives the user actual stories that make good oral stories. What is its intrinsic value? Mr. McWilliams gives the user a plethora of sites from which he can use. How in-depth is the material? The material on the first page of his site is not actually in depth, but the links contain in-depth information.

Reviewed By: Katherine Jacobs

http://www.eldrbarry.net/roos/art.htm: The Art of Story Telling

1. Accuracy

            The information listed on this Website contains mostly links to other Websites, which were not created by the same man who created this hub Website.  There is no evidence of an editor, and the man who created the site is also the one who maintains it. 

2. Authority

            The author, or composer in this case, is a man by the name of Barry McWilliams.  He has a link at the bottom of this page, MORE ABOUT ELDRBERRY that takes you to another site devoted to himself and his family.  (Side note: He is an Ordained Teaching Elder at his church, thus the title of his html)  This is just one of Barry’s many past times, but he does not have any legitimate training or education in the field.

3. Objectivity

            The Website does not show any bias in the information he submits.  There is a wide range of material listed under each subcategory listing.  There is no advertising on the page itself, but on his MORE ABOUT ELDRBERRY page he has listed his resume for a prospective career opportunity. 

4. Currency

            The date listed next to the copyright is 1997.  There are no indications that there have been revisions made since that date.  The links on that page seem to all be working links, and if there has been a change there has been an automatic routing set into the html.

5. Coverage

            The coverage for this site is sufficient.  It seems that this Website is part of the “The Storytelling Ring,” in which it has a lot more links if that link is accessed.  I think that this Website composer did a good job on finding a lot of useful material, which is very accessible to a curious on-looker. 

Reviewed By: April Joy Ruggieri

This website is a must for anyone searching for storytelling basics and techniques to aide them in their storytelling adventures. Barry McWilliams presents this page. The opening page is very user-friendly and easy to read. It presents a list of a variety of sites to explore on storytelling basics and techniques. Among the links that are the most useful are books on storytelling and Hatters Classics. Here a list is provided for books by very well know storytellers such as Margaret Read MacDonald, Bill Mooney and David Holtwhich. Links are provided to Amazon.com for purchasing these recommended storytellers.There is also a list of books with reviews of tall tales, collections of folktales by Grimm, Lang and Asbjornsen, and books that analyze the appreciation of fairytales. One can link to Heather Forest's Story Arts:Storytelling in the Classroom. This site can give information and advice on how to be a good storyteller and lesson plans and activities using story in the classroom. Very short folktale plots for student retelling are easily accessable. This is a very friendly site. Barry McWilliams also provides a link to Tim Sheppards list of requently asked questions about storytelling and one can be linked to resources for help. The Joy of Story Listening link provides a list of links to his favorite tales like Raventales. Under this link he gives a background of Raven type tales, links to the history of the people where these raven tales originated, museums and exhibits to see and learn about the culture. Barry also has links to his favorite storytellers, authors and their websites and the best links to sources for finding stories to tell. A list of online resources, how to sign up for a storytelling listservice at TWU, and links to organizations such as the National Storytelling Membership Association and the National Storytelling Festival are provided. I really would advise any storyteller from novice to beginner to bookmark this site. From this site Barry MacWilliams offers an abundance of resources to be utilized.