[WEB4LIB] Good Library Web Design

[Andrew K. Pace]

The results are in...from a few people.  It is not too late to
get you "one sentence on good library web design" in; all I can
offer in return is the chance to be quoted in an ALA TechSource
publication.  My original call for participation in this
challenge is repeated below (without HTML embedded, this time
:).  I am not including attributions, since most folks did not
say whether or not I could.  Kudos to those with creative
punctuation control...amazing what colons, semi-colons, and
elipses can do to enhance the length of a sentence.

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A good web site helps you get the job done:  it gets
you where you need to be and is considerate of the
user; it is intuitive; it is accessible, usable, and
functional, without being cutesy or causing a drain on
bandwidth (graphically light should also be the
mantra).

A good library Web site leads patrons *fast* to most of
what they were looking for and to enough of what they
should have been looking for.

A good library website needs to be as clear as possible
in conveying where  the user needs to go next to get to
the information he needs, while at the same time making
it simple for the user to get there.

...Don't  make them hunt!

A good library website is one that the patrons think is
functional irregardless of the bells and whistles you
might be tempted to include.

The user of a library web page must be able--in less than
30 seconds--to locate the essential library services--
library information (hours, locations), online catalog,
and periodical databases.

A good library website is one which non librarians will
use without prodding.

Good library web design has the user in mind and is arranged
for the audience that's being served.
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On January 22, Andrew K. Pace wrote:
I followed (and participated in) with great interest the
Web4Lib's
recent discussion of library website organization.  I am
working on
some follow-up on this topic for an ALA publication, and I was
wondering if the experts on this list would be willing to
contribute.
Describe in one sentence: what makes a good library Web site?
Can you resist such a challenge?  At least I did not say 20
words or
less...
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Andrew K. Pace
Assistant Head, Systems ~ NCSU Libraries
North Carolina State University ~ Raleigh, NC
andrew_pace at ncsu.edu ~ 919-515-3087
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