Comments on: with a little help from my friends http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179 Laura Crossett on the LIS domain Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:31:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: lis.dom » Blog Archive » usability! http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-21341 lis.dom » Blog Archive » usability! Fri, 08 Jun 2007 21:16:15 +0000 http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-21341 [...] I visited the two other branches of the county library to do some usability testing of the new website I’ve been working on. I was about to sit down and put together my findings, but it occurred to me that it might be [...] […] I visited the two other branches of the county library to do some usability testing of the new website I’ve been working on. I was about to sit down and put together my findings, but it occurred to me that it might be […]

]]> By: laura http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-18182 laura Mon, 07 May 2007 18:56:24 +0000 http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-18182 Ponies with monocles! Yay! And thank you all, once again. Ponies with monocles! Yay! And thank you all, once again.

]]> By: Michelle (Jane) http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-18158 Michelle (Jane) Mon, 07 May 2007 15:52:03 +0000 http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-18158 Oh, and if you start a show I will come and bring the ponies with monocles. And some library stuff too. ;) Oh, and if you start a show I will come and bring the ponies with monocles. And some library stuff too. ;)

]]> By: Meredith http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-18071 Meredith Sun, 06 May 2007 13:34:13 +0000 http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-18071 This is great, Laura! I think you are off to a brilliant start with this Website. This just goes to show that any library can do something like this with a minimal amount of tech savvy. There are almost always people in our profession out there who are willing and happy to help. And while I agree with Michelle that a MeeboMe widget is cool, it's really hard to staff when there is only one person, or just a couple of people, staffing the entire library. I know of a lot of very small libraries that want to do Meebo, but there's just no way they could sit in front of a computer and staff it. Again, congratulations! You rock! This is great, Laura! I think you are off to a brilliant start with this Website. This just goes to show that any library can do something like this with a minimal amount of tech savvy. There are almost always people in our profession out there who are willing and happy to help.

And while I agree with Michelle that a MeeboMe widget is cool, it’s really hard to staff when there is only one person, or just a couple of people, staffing the entire library. I know of a lot of very small libraries that want to do Meebo, but there’s just no way they could sit in front of a computer and staff it.

Again, congratulations! You rock!

]]> By: laura http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17918 laura Fri, 04 May 2007 02:57:34 +0000 http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17918 Yeah, I do want to do some testing of the sort you describe with some actual library users (with any luck a few from each branch), since I suspect that there will be some things that don't make much sense to them. This isn't a particularly internet aware culture, and there are plenty of library users who, I suspect, will never even look at the website. (I once said to a guy from Ann Arbor, "Oh, the library there has the best website!" He said, "Oh, I've never looked at the website, but I go to the main branch all the time.") My goal, then, is to design a website for people who do want to use a website. We'll see if I've actually managed that! Yeah, I do want to do some testing of the sort you describe with some actual library users (with any luck a few from each branch), since I suspect that there will be some things that don’t make much sense to them.

This isn’t a particularly internet aware culture, and there are plenty of library users who, I suspect, will never even look at the website. (I once said to a guy from Ann Arbor, “Oh, the library there has the best website!” He said, “Oh, I’ve never looked at the website, but I go to the main branch all the time.”) My goal, then, is to design a website for people who do want to use a website. We’ll see if I’ve actually managed that!

]]> By: Steve Lawson http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17900 Steve Lawson Thu, 03 May 2007 21:55:30 +0000 http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17900 This is looking nice. Are you doing tests with actual users yet? I have been trying to look at the site as a novice user might and wondered about a few things. Would they "get" the "6 + 3" kinda-captcha thing? Is there a better way to label the "Flickr Pictures?" One the one hand, people shouldn't know or care about Flickr; on the other hand, they should know that they are leaving your site for a site that has all kinds of images once they do a search there. I'm sure real users would find other possible areas for improvement. If you haven't done it before, it doesn't have to be too elaborate. Just come up with 5 tasks that people should be able to do quickly and easily on the site. Ask 5 people to try those tasks, and give 'em some cookies (a chocolate croissant?) for their time. Write down where they trip up and see if you can fix that. Lather, rinse repeat. Then come do it for my website. :) This is looking nice. Are you doing tests with actual users yet? I have been trying to look at the site as a novice user might and wondered about a few things. Would they “get” the “6 + 3″ kinda-captcha thing? Is there a better way to label the “Flickr Pictures?” One the one hand, people shouldn’t know or care about Flickr; on the other hand, they should know that they are leaving your site for a site that has all kinds of images once they do a search there.

I’m sure real users would find other possible areas for improvement. If you haven’t done it before, it doesn’t have to be too elaborate. Just come up with 5 tasks that people should be able to do quickly and easily on the site. Ask 5 people to try those tasks, and give ‘em some cookies (a chocolate croissant?) for their time. Write down where they trip up and see if you can fix that. Lather, rinse repeat.

Then come do it for my website. :)

]]> By: laura http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17887 laura Thu, 03 May 2007 17:32:24 +0000 http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17887 @Neff--thanks, and thanks for the link, which looks excellent. @belajar--I've heard good things about Joomla, but for this project I wanted to use a system I already knew, and so far WordPress does most of the things that I want it to. The rest I'll improvise--and who knows, maybe Joomla (or something else) will be the right answer down the road. @Michelle--Yeah, anchors on the research page would be a good idea. Thanks! I would love to have an online form for library cards, but I'm not sure yet that the rest of the library is ready for that, as they are rather attached to the little index-sized cards that people fill out that fit neatly in the drawers used for storing library card records--but maybe someday. I would also love to have MeeboMe, but IM is another thing that hasn't really taken on here yet. Baby steps, baby steps. Thanks to all for the excellent comments! @Neff–thanks, and thanks for the link, which looks excellent.

@belajar–I’ve heard good things about Joomla, but for this project I wanted to use a system I already knew, and so far WordPress does most of the things that I want it to. The rest I’ll improvise–and who knows, maybe Joomla (or something else) will be the right answer down the road.

@Michelle–Yeah, anchors on the research page would be a good idea. Thanks! I would love to have an online form for library cards, but I’m not sure yet that the rest of the library is ready for that, as they are rather attached to the little index-sized cards that people fill out that fit neatly in the drawers used for storing library card records–but maybe someday. I would also love to have MeeboMe, but IM is another thing that hasn’t really taken on here yet. Baby steps, baby steps.

Thanks to all for the excellent comments!

]]> By: Michelle (Jane) http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17881 Michelle (Jane) Thu, 03 May 2007 16:05:26 +0000 http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17881 I like the design. Here are my comments: On the Research tab: It would be nice if there was a list at the top of the page with anchors that would jump down to each section. I can see that page growing in the future and becoming a crazy long page to scroll through. Scrolling is boo. On the library card page: Is there an online form? I wish more libraries had an online form for cards. Wouldn't it be great if after you filled out the form, you could go pick up your card, all ready for you, at the circ desk? On the Contact page: Have you considered MeeboMe widgets? *claps* way to go! I like the design. Here are my comments:

On the Research tab:
It would be nice if there was a list at the top of the page with anchors that would jump down to each section. I can see that page growing in the future and becoming a crazy long page to scroll through. Scrolling is boo.

On the library card page:
Is there an online form? I wish more libraries had an online form for cards. Wouldn’t it be great if after you filled out the form, you could go pick up your card, all ready for you, at the circ desk?

On the Contact page:
Have you considered MeeboMe widgets?

*claps* way to go!

]]> By: belajar Wordpress http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17865 belajar Wordpress Thu, 03 May 2007 08:36:58 +0000 http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17865 Your choice of using Wordpress is great. However, I just found out recently that you may consider to also use Joomla. In my point of view, it even greater and promising than Wordpress. Your choice of using Wordpress is great. However, I just found out recently that you may consider to also use Joomla. In my point of view, it even greater and promising than Wordpress.

]]> By: joshua m. neff http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17844 joshua m. neff Thu, 03 May 2007 03:50:19 +0000 http://www.newrambler.net/lisdom/179#comment-17844 We absolutely can put on our own shows, Laura! Your website looks great, and I think it's terrific and inspiring that you were able to sell the idea to your director. Great job! My friends at NEKLS (Northeast Kansas Library System) have been using WP to create websites for smaller Kansas libraries. Check it out: http://www.mykansaslibrary.org/ We absolutely can put on our own shows, Laura!

Your website looks great, and I think it’s terrific and inspiring that you were able to sell the idea to your director. Great job!

My friends at NEKLS (Northeast Kansas Library System) have been using WP to create websites for smaller Kansas libraries. Check it out: http://www.mykansaslibrary.org/

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