[OPLINLIST] When is a bucket too big?

[SWON Info]

Visit a library website and you're likely to see some mention of the 
digital content they have available. With increasing digital collections 
and more types of content--ebooks, electronic journals, music and even 
movies--they ought to appear on the front page. But how?

This diverse content is often represented by just a word or two in a 
menu, like "e-resources," "digital collections," "downloadables," 
"eMedia," or "virtual library." These are fuzzy terms to use, since they 
describe a category, not the resources that are available.

I've been reading a book about information architecture called "Card 
Sorting," by Donna Spencer. She argues that category names that 
communicate best aren't the broadest or most specific but in the middle. 
Tell someone you got a new laptop and they understand immediately. 
Instead, say you bought a personal computer, or a 17t-series HP, and 
you've described a category that's either too broad or too narrow.

Visit the digital collections page, and you'll find that resources are 
often described by the vendor's name. Once you know what Overdrive 
offers, you're on better ground (though you still might not realize you 
can check out audio books as well as ebooks). Until they connect a 
vendor to how it helps them, "Download free MP3s" will beat a banner 
that says "Freegal Music" every time.

How do you figure out what terms make sense to your patrons? Ask them! 
Read a book on User Experience (UX) design like "Card Sorting," or call 
in a professional to help. Let's help patrons recognize the great 
content we offer by describing it in ways they can easily understand.
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SWON's Ebook Conference is just a week away! Please join us November 13. 
<http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=568>
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Connect to SWON online: Website <http://www.swonlibraries.org/> : 
Calendar <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventcalendar.asp> : Facebook 
<https://www.facebook.com/SWONLibraries?sk=wall> : Twitter 
<http://twitter.com/swonlibraries>
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Calendar excerpts from the next two weeks. (Please register for online 
classes at least two days before they take place.)

  * *Mastering Tough Conversations, Part 2
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=660>* -
    (11/7/2013) - Online
  * *Establishing Your Library’s Footprint in Your Community
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=661>* -
    (11/12/2013) - Online
  * *ROYAL Book Reviews (SIG) Meeting
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=661>* -
    (11/12/2013) - SWON Conference Room
  * *ROYAL Book Reviews (SIG) Meeting
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=348>* -
    (11/12/2013) - Boone County Public Library
  * */SWON Ebook Mini-Conference & Membership Meeting
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=568>/* -
    (11/13/2013) - West Chester Wingate
  * *LinkedIn Etiquette, with Melanie Blau-McDonald
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=658>* -
    (11/14/2013) - Kenton County Public Library - Covington
  * *Managing Your Priorities – The Key to Time Management, Part 2
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=662>* -
    (11/14/2013) - Online
  * *Everything You Need to Know About 3-D Printers, Pens and More for
    Your Library
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=663>* -
    (11/19/2013) - Online


SWON Libraries - http://www.swonlibraries.org
10250 Alliance Road, Suite 225
Blue Ash, OH 45242
phone (513) 751-4422 - fax (513) 751-0463
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