Library Media Centers have a
wonderful opportunity to perpetuate learning outside of school doors and hours
by having a great website. To not tap
into this opportunity may place many students at a disadvantage when it comes
to being exposed to emerging technologies, digital etiquette, and information
literacy. Here are 6 tips for great
library media center websites.
1.
Test all buttons, links, and other navigational
tools to be sure that they work on other computers (MAC and PC.) Be sure to check them frequently to ensure
that a sight or resource you’ve linked to is still up and running and
current. When I say “current,” are the
websites and resources on your page relevant to current information trends,
curriculums, and technologies or are some of them linked to a technology or resource
that is obsolete or no longer widely used?
2.
Good graphic design is everything. Be sure that the media center site is aesthetically
pleasing. Try choosing a color scheme
(3-4 main colors) to establish a consistency (or brand) throughout your web
pages. Keep in mind that colors may not
look the same on other computers as it does on your computer. A good rule of thumb is to use web-based
colors (RGB) which best translate on both MAC and PC platforms.
3.
Frequently changing items such as newsletters, podcasts,
special announcements, etc., will add visual interest. Many times, I’ve visited web pages and see
where the image was not linked properly so it appears as a blank box with a
small icon in the upper left corner indicating that it is missing. There are many tutorials and instructional
resources to assist with the incorporation of design elements. I have purchased books that teach about particular
software which were helpful for basic use of the software, but when I sought to
solve a technical issue such as compatibility or work around a glitch in the
software, I found blogs, tutorials, and videos freely available on the internet
to be the best and most efficient solution.
One resource that is very helpful is YouTube. Another site that has a large library of professional
instruction on a wide variety of software including multiple versions of the
software is www.lynda.com . This site is not free however, but allows
the user to purchase month to month or annual subscriptions.
4.
Communication is very important when considering
or building a library media center site.
I have seen many of these sites that design for information only. This means that the site is chocked full of
resources and links to catalogs, etc., but does not allow for chatting with the
librarian in any way (common chat tools, email, submitting information request
forms, etc.). Allowing users to
communicate to the librarian and staff can greatly enhance the design and
efficiency of the site because they may provide valuable feedback about how
things are working with the site and what’s not working. Also, users may offer up suggestions about new
technology and other potential enhancements.
5.
Building an app folio can greatly enhance the
reach of the library media center site. An
App folio functions like an e-book and website combined. It contains interactive elements that can
provide a steady stream of information and allow users a sense of more control
when navigating through the content. App
folios may be created by using HTML5 which accommodates Flash components or it
may be easily designed using InDesign in Adobe CS6. One does not have to directly publish their
app folio to iTunes in order to have it disseminated to users. All users have to do is download the Adobe
Content Viewer app and they will be able to download and view the library media
center app folio. The LMC may decide to
design their app folio to be an abridged version of their main web page or they
may decide to build an app folio for special features of the media center,
upcoming events, or even book fairs.
Currently InDesign 6 has the capability of building app folios for the iPad,
Kindle, Nook, and Android. Adobe does
have plans to broaden their capabilities to include Windows formatted devices
such as tablets and traditional PC’s.
6.
Incorporate tracking software or tools so that
you can see the areas of the site that are of most interest to the users and
the areas that are least visited. Use
this feedback to enhance or reorganize information on your LMC site. Sometimes, areas that are less used may be so
because they are difficult to find, hard to understand, or just not presented
in a way that is interesting to users.
An old retail trick is to rearrange items that are not as popular into
different configurations and customers will suddenly become interested. Tracking tools can also assist the librarian
in knowing the types of users and how such types or groups are benefiting from
the site. For instance, if most of the
users on a LMC site are fifth graders, the librarian may decide to build
sections of the site that are geared more toward the lower grades. Site design for 1st and 2nd
graders may vary greatly from the way information is presented on the 5th
grade web pages. Simple words and
descriptive pictures along with bright and fun colors and design elements may
help younger users engage in exploration of the site.
Hi Katherine,
ReplyDeleteAll of these tips are excellent! I'm especially drawn to tips 1 and 4. It is extremely important that the website is compatible with both the MAC and the PC computer. Access is everything! The complaints will definitely start rolling if several links are working because they are using a Macbook.
I've seen a ton of boring websites as well Katherine. As a librarian, my experience has been that students really enjoy an interactive site. Ask a Librarian is a very popular tool on our library website. Information and resources are great, but ACCESS is everything!
Thanks for the informative post. :)
I like how you organized information into 6 tips. There is nothing worse than visiting a site where there are links to sites that are no longer current! When I visit a site and notice that there are a couple of links to sites that are not current, I assume that the owner/author may have not even looked at the site in a while and I don’t see any value in it. I agree that good graphic design is very important. While you should not “judge a book by it’s cover,” people do judge a website by it’s interest, and if it doesn’t look appealing, they will probably not want to use it. It is also important to add and take away items to keep the site just as current as possible. One thing that you pointed out that stood out to me was that a webpage is lacking if there is no way to communicate with the librarian. As media specialists, we can use the webpage to find out what students, teachers, and parents like and dislike about the media center. That way, we can ensure that the media center and webpage is serving the patrons as it should. One thing that I wouldn’t have thought of doing is to incorporate tracking software so that I can see which area is visited most often. This is a great way to have quality control. I did not view your blog until after I created my webpage – and wish that I had! I am happy that you have posted these 6 tips as I can use this to create my webpage in the future! ☺
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with app folios, but they seem to provide an effective means for distributing information and access through the media center. To be able to have the Flash components on an iPad would certainly be welcomed, especially with the increasing presence of iPads in schools. A school where I have been working has access to a database designed for elementary students. A teacher and I had planned a lesson to use the database with 2nd graders; however, when I attempted to access it through an iPad, I discovered that the database would not work without Flash. We were able to continue with the lesson by using GALILEO. The app folio sounds like a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI had not thought about adding tracking software within a website. I like your suggestion to track activity within various sections. I am sure some areas will require more maintenance than others. If those areas do not have much traffic, then a media specialist can divert the time spent on that area to other job responsibilities that are more effective. This use of tracking could be a time management device.
Since many tools are not compatible for both MACs and PCs, your tips to check tools and colors on both are certainly worthwhile. What works on the computers in the media center may not work on computers and devices students may use outside of school. A website will not serve its function if patrons can only use it at your school.
Frequently changing items such as newsletters, podcasts, special announcements, etc., will add visual interest. Many times, I’ve visited web pages and see where the image was not linked properly so it appears as a blank box with a small icon in the upper left corner indicating that it is missing.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest downfalls of media center website, as you stated is changing items, such as the newsletters, podcasts, special announcements, and general news about the media center. Oftentimes, the information remains years or months behind and out of date. When you witness it, the idea of the media center being behind the times sort of manifests, itself. On one hand, it may not have a real effect on the media center, if the school website is not popular or lacks heavy traffic to begin with, but at the same time it can display the lack usefulness in having a school media website, if it is not updated regularly or consulted for media center operations. Moreover, it may show a disservice to students and teachers in the arena of providing the most current, relevant, and usefu; information.