[WEB4LIB] Re: Library Web Page Use

[Karen G. Schneider]

This isn't all that far from towns (including my own) where the city
page doesn't link to the library.  I wrote them as a "concerned citizen"
(twice) and was told that the library "was on the site"--yeah, sure,
buried two levels down.  I used the city pages when I moved here to find
local services. The city pages had all kinds of info on who to call for
utilities, tv, etc.  But I only knew there was a library because I
walked past it on the way to the corner store (well, and because I had
heard of it through library channels).  

Did the library bond fail because the library wasn't on the city's home
page? Probably nothing as direct as that... but keeping the library
invisible is a good way to lower it in folks' priorities.

I'd say to the folks feeling the tweak of over-eager editors, take a
deep breath, fix the italicized commas, and start barking back at the PR
folks demanding to know why the link to the library isn't more
prominent. Whether or not they *use* the link, students, prospective and
otherwise, alumnae, faculty, and anyone else associated with the college
or university should *perceive* the library as an equal player with the
other academic services.

----------------------------------------------
Karen G. Schneider                 kgs at lii.org 
Coordinator, Librarians' Index to the Internet
Information You Can Trust!      http://lii.org
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> Another point: what statement is the college/university making if the
> Library does NOT appear on the main page?
> In my opinion, if scholarship is important to the institution, then
there
> SHOULD be a direct link to the Library from the main page.
> Also, any potential student would more than likely want to check out
the
> library page. Having to dig does not send a good message...
> - Rick Palladino, Iona