[Web4lib] Friendly language

[Bohyun Kim]

When my library was creating a library site, we also debated this issue. I can confirm from experience that both faculty and students don't necessarily understand what the term, "course reserves" means. I agree with Marc. They often say class readings to refer to course reserves. They rarely say 'materials.'



However, our library decided to keep the traditional term, course reserves, on the website. Our public services folks use 'course reserves' consistently. So I think now most faculty at least understand the meaning. (But this probably won't work well for a large library.) I would have preferred something like "Assigned Class Readings" as its meaning is clear to users. But it seems that "course reserves" is too much of an established term among librarians. If you can make user-input an important factor in deciding the library website language, you may be able to go with a less traditional but more intuitively-understood term.



Good luck!

Bohyun



---

Bohyun Kim, M.A., M.L.I.S.

bohyun.kim at fiu.edu

Digital Access Librarian

FIU Medical Library

http://medlib.fiu.edu

(Tel) 305.348.1471

(Fax) 305.348.0631



Download the FIU Medical Library Toolbar- all library resources in one place

http://libx.org/editions/download.php?edition=EEA9C109







-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Marc Davis
Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 6:33 AM
To: Coral Sheldon-Hess
Cc: web4lib
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Friendly language



Probably one place to start is with actual student language.



For example: "course."  I don't hear students talk about "skipping course" but they do say "skipping class" . . . frequently.  On midwestern campuses, anyway, "class" is a much more common term that "courses."



When looking for reserves they come to the desk telling us "I need the readings for my biology class." Other frequently used terms include "articles, books, assignments"  or some combination like "assigned reading."  I don't recall ever being asked for "materials."



So, I'd keep track for a while at the Reserves desk of what students are actually saying.  At one library we ended up with "Assigned Class Readings."



FWIW.



Marc Davis

Systems Associate

Cowles Library, Drake University

2507 University Avenue

Des Moines, IA 50311  USA

515-271-1934





----- Original Message -----

From: "Coral Sheldon-Hess" <coral.hess at gmail.com>

To: "web4lib" <web4lib at webjunction.org>

Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 8:48:57 PM

Subject: [Web4lib] Friendly language



Hello!



My library (or, well, our Web Team) has started talking about using

"friendlier" terms on our website. Most immediately, we'd like to find

a more intuitive name for "Course Reserves." None of our students seem

to know what that term means, so, of course, it gets very little use.

I know a number of libraries have looked into de-jargonizing (how's

that for a word) their websites, lately, though I don't know whether

they've had good results or not. I'd love to hear from any librarians

working on that kind of project!



To the crowd at large, though, do you have any thoughts on what else

to call "Course Reserves"? The best we've got, now, is "Course

Materials." Do you have--or have you seen--any really good examples of

"friendly" academic library website language?



Thanks in advance!



--

Coral Sheldon-Hess

Web Services Librarian

UAA/APU Consortium Library



"... the library is not a place but a service." --Allen B. Veaner





_______________________________________________

Web4lib mailing list

Web4lib at webjunction.org

http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/







_______________________________________________

Web4lib mailing list

Web4lib at webjunction.org

http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/