Library web site organization -- revisited

[Tim Smith]

First of all I would like to offer a much-belated Thank You to all of you
who responded to my original posting at the beginning of November
(http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Web4Lib/archive/0011/0001.html). I was pleased
by both the quantity and the quality of your messages on this subject. In
particular, I remember emitting a resounding "Yes!" when I clicked on the
link to the Torrance (California) Public Library which Hillary Theyer gave
in her response.

I must say I was a little bit surprised (and quite pleased) NOT to be flamed
for coming up with such a foolish idea in the first place. I still have the
nagging worry, though, that if this IS a good idea, why aren't more
libraries doing it? This, in itself, is worthy of discussion.

So, in the last month, when time has permitted, I've been experimenting with
a mockup of what such a site might look like for my library, Ohio
University, which has one main and 5 regional campuses and is located in
southeastern Ohio. Here is a URL for that mockup:

   http://132.235.47.196:45701/indexindex.htm

As you'll see if you follow the link, I've populated it with a very small
number of resources, enough (I hope), to try out the idea. I would like to
invite folks on this list to take a look at this design and give me feedback
on it. So far, I've shown it briefly to two small groups of colleagues here
(whose responses were favorable), and would like to seek comments from more
experienced Web-hands than I before proceeding further.

I began work on this with the Humanities and History sections, but then
wondered if this same design would work for non-subject specific things like
General Reference tools. So, I tried doing a little with Biography reference
tools. I think that the design will work here, too, but would love more
feedback. 

So, once again, I'd like to invite your comments on this overall design.
What works? What wouldn't work? How could the appearance and navigation be
improved? And any other comments along these lines. I hope to incorporate
suggestions I get into a revised mockup to present to our entire Library
staff in the fairly near future.

Thanks again for all your past (and future) comments!

Tim Smith 


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    Tim Smith                    Phone: (740) 593-2634
    Reference Dept.              E-Mail: tsmith1 at ohiou.edu
    Alden Library, Ohio Univ.    Fax: (740) 593-2959
    Athens, OH 45701

    "Technology has replaced reflection" -- Utah Phillips
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