As a librarian at the Rebecca Crown Library at Dominican University, who has been appointed to the committee on the library website, my first step was to do some research on other library web sites. The two websites that I liked and which gave me ideas for making recommendations are the Columbia College Chicago at http://www.lib.colum.edu/ and Georgia Tech at http://www.library.gatech.edu/
The Columbia College library website has been kept simple and all the pertinent information is grouped under four subject headings Research, Help, Services, and About. There is also a News Section. It is a user friendly site and easy to navigate. In each section there is a link to go into any of the other sections without having to go back to the Home page. The aesthetics have also been kept simple and there is a image of a student reading, which changes every so often to a painted background which says “Freedom”. The terminology used is library related but at the same time is easy to understand. The library catalog is also easy to navigate and links to a I-Share .
The Georgia Tech library website has made good use of color and aesthetics to make the website appealing. It is also simple and easy to navigate. The user can access any of the sections without going back to the home page. Also the fonts are a good size and the headings and subheadings are easily visible. I think this website offers interactivity and the personal touch with its blog and feedback survey. It is well organized.
To: The Director Of the Library
Recommendations for Rebecca Crown Library Web site
Keeping in mind the web sites of the other colleges, I think that the Crown Library website has a good layout and color scheme. It is well organized and the headings and categories are also suitable as is the user-friendliness. The website is also easy to navigate from one point to the other. The catalog is easy to use and links to an I-Share.
Some recommendations that I would suggest are
• The Columbia Library website has a “Welcome” next to their home page at http://www.lib.colum.edu/index.php which provides a personal touch.
• The Columbia Library”s “Ask a Librarian” feature page has a nice layout and also a provision to make an appointment with a librarian at http://vrlplus.cb.docutek.com/colum/vrl_entry.asp
• Another nice feature at Columbia is the “Quick Info” category at http://www.lib.colum.edu/help/quickinfo.php which gives quick information with statistics, encyclopedias, dictionaries etc.
• A idea that can be incorporated from the Georgia Tech website is the use of bigger fonts for the headings and subheadings at http://www.library.gatech.edu/index.php
• The Georgia Tech library web site has floor maps and call # locater which is a wonderful idea and gives a very personal touch at http://www.library.gatech.edu/about/floorplans/
• The Georgia Tech has a “Feedback” form providing interactivity at http://www.library.gatech.edu/about/contact.php
• Lastly there is also a staff directory which gives a listing of librarians by subject at Georgia Tech at http://www.library.gatech.edu/services/subject_librarians.php
