[OPLINLIST] Think your website is complicated?

[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.

You’re right. Your website is complicated. Who has a more complicated 
website than a library? The government of the United Kingdom, for one. 
To redesign their website and help people find information more easily, 
they read through 75,000 pages of content to assess which had 
information that really needed to be there. They cut 75% of those pages 
and rewrote content in language citizens could better understand.

You can see the result at http://www.gov.uk. The first thing you see 
isn’t snappy graphics or lists of popular items. First, you see a search 
box. Scrolling down, you’ll find categories of information with brief 
descriptions for each category. You can read more about the 10 
principles that directed their design here: 
https://www.gov.uk/designprinciples.

Who has the energy for these discussions? Actually, if your library has 
a mobile website, you’re already having them. You’re already deciding 
what has high enough priority to get top billing on a smartphone’s small 
screen.

To see some of this decision-making in effect, look at the Ohio Digital 
Library’s website: http://ohdbks.lib.overdrive.com/. That big blue bar 
full of categories that you see on the full-size site? On a smartphone, 
it’s gone. It hasn’t been removed entirely; just moved under a menu.

Start visiting websites from a smartphone and see how libraries, 
governments or even grocery stores organize their sites for the small 
screen. You might be inspired to change your website, too.

Nathan Swartzendruber, SWON Technology Educator

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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 
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Calendar excerpts from the next two weeks. (Please register for online 
classes at least two days before they take place.)

  * *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
  * *Instruction Librarian (SIG) Meeting
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=643>* -
    (11/21/2013) - Galen College of Nursing
  * *Managing Your Priorities – The Key to Time Management, Part 3
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=664>* -
    (11/21/2013) - Online
  * *Friends of the Public Library (PLCH) Used Book Sale 2013
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=550>* -
    (11/21-11/23/2013) - Madeira Branch
  * *Adopting and Attitude of Gratitude Every Day
    <http://oh.evanced.info/swon/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=665>* -
    (11/26/2013) - 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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