[WEB4LIB] Purpose of library websites

[Mark Gooch]

I have also been considering these issues with the redesign of our Law School
site and our Library site.  I would answer that the purpose is some of each of
the points you list.  However, I would say the major emphasis is on the first
one.  The other emphasis I like to keep in mind is that we are providing
information or access points to information.  As a result, we don't need a lot of
glitz which only slows down the access to the information or requires the latest
version of Netscape or IE.  This only limits access.  Unfortunately we do have to
make some consideration for the "saleabilty" of the site in regard to possible
student recruitment which sometimes leans us toward more graphics than I might
prefer.

Mark



Dan Lester wrote:

> Here's a really basic question.  What is the PURPOSE of your library website?
>
> Is it to provide services to your users (students, faculty, staff, for an
> academic)?
> Is it to market your library to its local community (whatever that is)?
> Is it to market your library to the world?
> Is it to do something else?
>
> If more than one of the above, what is the mix?
>
> Now, why do I ask?    http://library.boisestate.edu/   has been designed to
> serve as useful information to our primary user community, the faculty,
> staff, and students of Boise State University.  As such, the design has
> been made "idiot simple" at the request of the reference folks, who have to
> deal with user training, taking phone calls, etc.  I realize that we could
> quibble forever over design issues, how many main categories to have, what
> goes in each, etc.  But the selected content shows on one screen at 480x640
> (well, the six buttons do), which we feel is very important.  The text is
> large enough for our visually impaired readers.
>
> Anyway, now one of the administrators thinks that it should be "fancier",
> with more artsy-fartsy stuff on it.  She happens to like
> http://www.fsu.edu/~library/ due to the "pretty things" and the button bar
> on the left edge.   I have no problem with button bars, but most of us have
> problems with pages you have to scroll just to see a menu of basic choices.
>
> I don't want to start a flame war, and know full well there is no one right
> answer on any of this.  However, I'm trying to get the internal discussion
> focussed on what the heck we're doing before getting down some path of
> redesign.
>
> One more example you'll love:  http://library.boisestate.edu/indexes.htm
> shows a beginning listing of databases that we have access to via the web.
> Some are free, some are not.  Some are ip blocked, some require logins and
> passwords, which we handle behind the scenes with authentication.  Anyway,
> most think the current layout is wonderful.  One key administrator is
> bothered by the fact that if you click on an icon under the off campus
> access for university people that sometimes you do NOT have to put in your
> ID and PW.  o-)
>
> Private or public comments appreciated.
>
> We do have fun.....
>
> cheers and thanks
>
> dan
>
> --
> Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716-7115 USA 208-383-0165
> dan at 84.com   http://www.84.com/  http://www.idaholibraries.org/
> http://library.boisestate.edu/   http://cyclops.boisestate.edu/
> http://www.lili.org/  http://www.postcard.org/ Sent me a postcard of a
> library yet?

--
Mark D. Gooch                                Cleveland State University
Government Information Librarian   1801 Euclid Ave.
Cleveland-Marshall Law Library     Cleveland, Ohio  44115
(216)687-5579  Voice                    (216)687-5098  Fax
                            Mark.Gooch at law.csuohio.edu
                     http://www.law.csuohio.edu/lawlibrary/

"I guess we still have some bugs to work out,"
 --Bill Gates at Comdex 98 in Chicago as Windows98 crashed on him