web laboratory: redesign as an opportunity for experimentation heather cook reference librarian...
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Web Laboratory: Redesign as an Opportunity for Experimentation
Heather CookReference LibrarianBergen Community College
Yolanda SheppardWeb Master/ Technical AssistantBergen Community College
VALE/NJ ACRL/NJLA CUS Users’ Conference Thursday January 5, 2012
The Committee
•Formed Spring 2011•Diverse Group:
▫Dean of Library and Assistant Dean▫Web Master▫Innovative Interfaces Specialist▫Metadata/Cataloging Librarian▫Reference Librarian
Website Vision StatementThe Library website will:• Be accessible to all users, on all
browsers, from all devices • Provide access to all Library resources
and services • Adhere to the Bergen Community
College website guidelines
Website Design Goals•Navigation
▫All information within one click of the home page
•Easy to update and maintain▫All pages reviewed/Updated every 6
months•Every unique piece of information exists
only once, but may appear many times
The Process
•What’s being done right now? ▫In Libraries and beyond
•Functionality at the center•Major Concerns:
▫1. Navigation▫2. Database subject sorting▫3. Editing existing pages/Layout of home
page•Applied innovations and ideas from test
website to current website
The Product
•Launched October 2011 •70+ pages down to 35 •Improved current website with problem
solving ideas from the test website•In the cloud:
▫Formsite, Libguides, Drupal, Google Calendar, Google Forms
•Link from the Library’s home page
Collaboration
Before• Meeting with IT
Faculty Department chair
• Alternatives to SharePoint
• Suggested tools▫ Drupal
(ex. www.whitehouse.gov)
▫ Microsoft Expression Web
After• Suggested some
tweaks:▫ Fonts▫ Links to pages outside
of site
• Plans to ask next semesters’ Web Design class to give feedback
DrupalHost Gator Drupal Gardens
• Web Hosting• Application Hosting –
Drupal• VPS Hosting (Virtual
Private Server)• Easy and Affordable
Feedback
•Google Docs Forms- used to gather feedback
•Link to feedback on test website•Feedback received:
▫Suggestions, clarifications, confusing items, language issues, navigation
Student23%
Faculty67%
Other10%
Feedback by Affili-ation
Suggestions72%
Positive21%
Negative7%
Feedback Type
Where is the “My Library Account”
link?-Faculty/Staff
I like how everything is
easier to access.
-Student
Database access
should have its own box,
not just a tab.
-Faculty /Staff And perhaps the
search for databases could be by keyword
rather than subject?
-Faculty/Staff
I don’t think its much different
from the former, but it’s a nice
touch.-Student
Looking Toward the Future
•Keep in test phase and work on suggestions
•Useful exercise for editing, updating and finding solutions ‘outside of the box’ for the current website
