[Web4lib] Link to Library site on College website

[Yu, Holly]

Nancy, 

It sounded very familiar.  We went through the same battle twice when
the campus did its redesign. We had to present them with justifications
to argue why the library link should be linked off from the campus main
page.  We compared the library web usages over a period of time when the
link was on campus main page and when it was taken off, pulled student
comments regarding the need to have the library link on the campus main
page, surveyed peer campuses, presented the issue at Academic Senate
meetings, etc... Our teaching faculty members were very vocal and worked
with us during these Senate meetings. Eventually our link was placed
back on. 

Holly 

______________
Holly Yu 
Electronic Resources Coordinator 
University Library
California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Dr. 
Los Angeles, CA 90032
Tel: (323) 343-4993
Fax: (323) 343-5600
Email: hyu3 at calstatela.edu


 

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Walker, David
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 8:27 AM
To: nancy at thesmudge.com; web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Link to Library site on College website

I absolutely think that the library should be linked off of the
university home page.  

But this is a bit of a double-edged sword, too.  I've seen marketing
people go over to the other extreme, wanting to dictate how the library
website should look from their marketing perspective.

It was hard for them to understand that the library website was a tool
used for research, and not just brochure-ware for the library.

--Dave

==================
David Walker
Library Web Services Manager
California State University
http://xerxes.calstate.edu
________________________________________
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org [web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of nancy at thesmudge.com [nancy at thesmudge.com]
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 8:03 PM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Web4lib] Link to Library site on College website

The academic institution where I work is redesigning its website.
Once again I am making the case for a link to the library site on the
College home page.
In part I stated:
"A link to the library website on the home page will greatly increase
students' use of scholarly materials in their research. Without a link
to the library website, many students will rely on materials that are
free on the Internet, and frequently they will be blocked from accessing
scholarly materials to which we subscibe."
I was nicely told that the College website was not for the faculty and
students. It was recruitment tool (and the library is evidently not part
of that agenda).
And yet the company designing the College website states in its Best Web
Practices document being circulated throughout the College:
"......we often describe two modes of communication in Web content:
emotional and transactional. The former is often associated with
'marketing,' and by extension traditional 'external' audiences; the
latter with current students, faculty, etc. It is our belief that too
many higher ed Web sites keep these two types of content separate; sites
contain a 'marketing' area (usually the Admission section) and an
'informational'
area (often the rest of the site). We prefer an approach that integrates
the two...."

I've pretty much given up on this, but wondered if those on this list
might have some bits of wisdom on the topic.

Nancy Sosna Bohm




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