[WEB4LIB] Re: Library home pages

[Shelley Voie]

King County Library System also will be doing a redesign of our home page.
We recognize the problems Jacqueline mentioned about library lingo, and have
been trying to come up with an alternate term for Electronic Resources ...
one that would be understood by our patrons.  We're leaning toward Online
Research Tools.

Jacqueline, I just looked at the library page for your institution --
http://www.library.sjsu.edu/ -- and see that your Electronic Resources link
was recently renamed Research Tools.  Seems like we're on the same wave
length...

Just wondering .... do WEB4LIB'ers think the words "Online," "Research,"
"Reference," and "Databases" sound too intimidating or confusing to most
public library users?  Can you provide good alternatives?

Shelley Voie
Electronic Resources Librarian
King County Library System: http://www.kcls.org
(425) 450-1763 / shelleyv at kcls.org

"O brave new world, that has such people in't!"
Miranda, in "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare


> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib at sunsite.Berkeley.EDU
> [mailto:web4lib at sunsite.Berkeley.EDU]On Behalf Of Jacqueline Lesch
> Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 1999 11:25 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: [WEB4LIB] Re: Library home pages
>
>
> Shane Nackerud wrote:
> >
> > Hello everyone--
> >
> >         The University of Minnesota Libraries are in the middle
> of a total web
> > site redesign.  One question we have been grappling with is what links
> > should be on the home page?  What services and research tools should
> > receive the highest priority?  The catalog and indexes/databases are
> > obvious choices, but what else?
>
> While normally a WEB4LIB lurker, I thought I would voice an opinion
> here.
> Yes, the catlog and indexes/databases are obvious choices, however, what
> do these terms really mean to our library patrons and website users?
> Library jargon can be very frustrating to non-librarians, especially on
> a website where you cannot walk up to a librarian and ask for
> assistance. Terms like: OPAC, Catalog, Databases, & Electronic Indexes
> are best reserved staff meetings and should be replaced on websites more
> desciptive titles or phrases.
>
> --
> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
> Jacqueline Lesch
> Technology Administrator
> Fullerton Campus
> SJSU SLIS
> (714)278-7234
> jlesch at wahoo.sjsu.edu
> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
>