What gives him his expertise? By what authority does he write?
John R. Henderson has been a reference librarian at the Ithaca College Library since 1981, having previously worked in libraries in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. He received his master's degree in library science from the University of Pittsburgh back when the closest thing to the World Wide Web was something called "mechanized information retrieval." Mr. Henderson (note, please, he is neither Ms. Henderson nor Dr. Henderson) has been involved in Web development and critical thinking issues since 1994, when during Thanksgiving break he began creating ICYouSee in response to a request from the director of the Ithaca College Library to prepare a Mosaic workshop series. Mosaic was the first Web browser to include the now standard features of icons, bookmarks, and pictures.
The author of this guide has also addressed several audiences on the topic of Internet
training and evaluation issues, including college professors, college
students, elementary school teachers, and law librarians. Henderson also served as the coordinator of the Ithaca College Library credit
instruction program. He is an active member of Project Wombat, formerly known as STUMPERS-L,
an online list through which some of the best reference librarians
in the world plus other amazing researchers seek or supply answers that have others stumped. Fans of radio quiz
shows might be interested in knowing that SaysYou, public radio's game of
"words and whimsey, bluff and bluster," has frequently aired Henderson's contributions of questions.
John Henderson and ICYouSee have won a few awards and recognitions, including the Miss Rumphius Award, presented to educators who "develop and share exceptional Internet resources for literacy and learning."
The site has been featured in AAAS Science NetLink and The Scout Report. Educuators and educational groups that have recognized it include SchoolZone UK, and the HomeworkSpot. The site has been featured and favorably reviewed in Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Maclean's Magazine. Back when the World Wide Web was first getting national attention, the site was featured on the first episode of the net.sho, a public broadcasting TV series about the Internet.