Why Patron's Hate Your Library's Website

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We may love our websites, but chances are good that your
patrons...well, not so much. Libraries are often guilty of
common website problems that can annoy visitors. From
design errors to usability issues, find out what may be driving
your patrons crazy and why.

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Why Patron's Hate Your Library's Website

  1. 1. Why PATRONS HATE your library’s WEBSITE Laura Solomon Library Services Manager Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) laura@oplin.org www.meanlaura.com
  2. 2. Not a happy patron 
  3. 3. Why? •Can’t find things •Ignoring of conventions •Believing in myths
  4. 4. Library website THE HAYSTACK aka
  5. 5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckaiserca/434019427/
  6. 6. Where’s the CATALOG?
  7. 7. (I’m pretty sure this is copyrighted by Warner Brothers, but that’s not where I found it. Thank you in advance for not suing me.) “MINE!”
  8. 8. Where to START??
  9. 9. Libraries have a BIG problem with SEARCH
  10. 10. Shortchanged on space http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/09/24/10-useful-usability-findings-and-guidelines
  11. 11. • 18 characters: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm • 27 characters: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
  12. 12. What’s wrong with this? Search this site: Search
  13. 13. Example Public Library • examplelibrary.org • www.examplelibrary.org
  14. 14. NOT
  15. 15. “Don’t you know that the people in “my” library’s area are different? Don’t you know they use the web an ENTIRELY different way than anywhere else? That I, and I alone, know how these folks work?” Bill Hardison, Technology Coordinator, Northwest Regional Library System, Ohio (Speaking tongue-in-cheek)
  16. 16. willusingtheprefixcybermakemelooklikeanidiot.com
  17. 17. Example Public LibraryLogo HERE. Really.
  18. 18. WEBSITE MYTHOLOGY
  19. 19. Stop opening things
  20. 20. The ”3-click rule” is utter nonsense. (Can we finally bury this one? Please??)
  21. 21. You are NOT like your users (You)
  22. 22. Here’s a quarter. You might need it.
  23. 23. More choices=happier patrons?
  24. 24. Stop stuffing the nav Dropdown menus show "a fundamental misunderstanding of information architecture & how to apply it to web projects" Jamie Freeman, Director, Message web design
  25. 25. It does NOT take a committee http://www.flickr.com/photos/uk_parliament/3385208124/
  26. 26. What does this mean to me, Laura?
  27. 27. Stay current
  28. 28. Look outside of this
  29. 29. Twitter: @laurasolomon Facebook: Facebook.com/laurasolomon Blog: What Does This Mean to Me, Laura? (http://www.meanlaura.com) Email: laura@oplin.org Contact me:

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