Why Patron's Hate Your Library's Website

Why PATRONS HATE your library’s WEBSITE Laura Solomon Library Services Manager Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) [email_address] www.meanlaura.com

Not a happy patron 

Why?
Can’t find things
Ignoring of conventions
Believing in myths

Library website THE HAYSTACK aka

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ckaiserca/434019427/

Where’s the CATALOG ?

(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!”

Where to START ??

Libraries have a BIG problem with SEARCH

Shortchanged on space http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/09/24/10-useful-usability-findings-and-guidelines

18 characters:
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
27 characters:
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

What’s wrong with this?
Search this site:
Search

Example Public Library
examplelibrary.org
www.examplelibrary.org

NOT You are the default

“ 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)

willusingtheprefixcybermakemelooklikeanidiot.com

Example Public Library
Logo HERE.
Really.

WEBSITE MYTHOLOGY

Stop opening things

The ”3-click rule” is utter nonsense.
(Can we finally bury this one? Please??)

You are NOT like your users (You)

Here’s a quarter. You might need it.

More choices=happier patrons?

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

It does NOT take a committee http://www.flickr.com/photos/uk_parliament/3385208124/

What does this mean to me, Laura?

Stay current

Look outside of this

Twitter : @laurasolomon Facebook : Facebook.com/laurasolomon Blog : What Does This Mean to Me, Laura? ( http:// www.meanlaura.com ) Email : [email_address] Contact me:

Why Patron's Hate Your Library's Website

by Laura Solomon on Nov 18, 2010

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Why Patron’s Hate Your Library’s Website — Presentation Transcript