[Web4lib] Friendly language

[Richard Wiggins]

"Stuff Your Prof Is Making You Read"?   :-)  /rich

On Fri, Jan 29, 2010 at 6:32 AM, Marc Davis <marc.davis at drake.edu> wrote:

> 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
>
>
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