[Web4lib] RE: What's wrong with this picture?

[Elena OMalley]

Stacy,

On the Manhattan College O'Malley (no relation) Library design:

Just commenting on picking battles...We ended up with a purple background/yellow and black text
design when the college did an overhaul and we migrated to its template. The library staff 
commented negatively about it initially, but we've learned to live with it because the students 
didn't care. When the library has commented on the college design, we, again as others have already 
mentioned, have the most success convincing them to make changes when we back it up with usability 
studies, web stats, and student survey comments. In fact, we were told once that our usability study 
results would override even design advice in published literature on a given topic because of 
the relevance of our users commenting on our site. I don't know that they always do this, but it was 
a nice thought.

Perhaps the College's Specialized Resource Center and/or ADA Coordinator could discuss the issues 
of ADA with the web design team? They might be able to provide the best legal argument, barring 
actually submitting the question to the college's legal counsel. Other options might include arranging 
for a student with a disability demonstrating the problems s/he encounters navigating the new design 
(grumbling about tuition costs throughout, possibly), getting a friendly-to-the-library elderly alum 
to comment on his/her difficulties using the site (and bring up development/gifts to the institution), or 
putting the request in the context of trying to create a certain impression for a grant-funding agency. 
Money, just like legality, should not be the only reason someone cares about accessibility, but it can 
serve as a good introduction to the need for accessibility. 

Designers are sometimes intrigued by the information that many libraries have what most web designers 
would consider a very strange goal: we are often trying to refer folks to other resources (often 
subscription databases) -- away from the library website itself as quickly as possible. I've had some 
success talking to them about that need and perspective as the context for my requests/arguments. 

And...I offer my sympathies. I've had a design or two rolled over me in the past, and it's quite frustrating. 
Best wishes on your project to improve the site for your users (and you, if at all possible).
-Elena
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Elena O'Malley, Head of Library Computer and Internet Services
Emerson College Library, Boston, MA 02116