Aside from paying very little attention to visual design and not caring about the impact of horrible typography, the big problem with library catalogs is that they are not designed to help people accomplish library tasks. Instead, they’re designed to expose catalog records. I’m not even talking about lofty library tasks like learning, creating, and …
Read MoreI learned about the Richland Library website in a good presentation by Kelly Coulter, the library’s Virtual Services Librarian. Solid site with a lot of things going for it. Kelly knows her stuff so I think this site will only get better. Neither here nor there: note their .com TLD. Don’t see many libraries with …
Read MoreLots of stuff to like about the City of Stockholm Libraries’ website.
Read MoreI’m super excited to announce a new project from Influx: Prefab: the library website service. Prefab is a ready to launch website designed for libraries. We’ve designed an amazing library website so you can concentrate on developing awesome content. How it works Sign up, fill in your content, launch. All in the same day, if …
Read MoreJames Cook University Library measured the outcome of removing some library jargon from their website. No surprise, things look positive: The Catalogue and the more meaningless Tropicat were replaced by Books, DVDs & more. Hits up 10% Bounce rate steady Reserve Online replaced by Readings & Past Exams. Hits up 100% Bounce rate down 25% …
Read MoreKeeping libraries free from clutter shouldn’t solely be the purview of the fastidious. It’s something we all can achieve, and should! With less clutter, people will have an easier time of finding what they want, and they’ll have a more peaceful experience. Conversely, clutter in and around the library is a user experience issue we …
Read MoreThe latest Pew Internet report – Mobile Connections to Libraries – gives us some info about the critical tasks for library websites. 82% of them searched the library catalog for books (including audiobooks and e-books), CDs, and DVDs. 72% got basic library information such as the hours of operation, location of branches, or directions. 62% …
Read MoreIFTTT has a no nonsense homepage that boldly displays a clear statement of what the site is all about. It also features a very plain and easy to use signup form.
Read MoreCecily Walker clued me in to the beta Multnomah County Library website and made an apt comparison to my Plainest Library Website Ever doodle. Here’s the new MCL site: They’ve whittled it down to some important basics. I’m impressed. The layout is pretty good, but the page is difficult to read. Click through and you’ll …
Read More