Writing for Your Library Website: Tips for Improving Your Content (February 2020)

1. Writing for Your
Library Website
tips for improving your content
02-06-2020

2. Hello!
I am Rebecca Blakiston
I am here because I love writing for the web.
2
@blakistonr
rebeccablakiston.info

3. why I care
usability
content is the heart of any
website and critical for
usability
inclusivity
useful, understandable
content is more
accessible to everyone
engagement
libraries provide great
things and people should
know about it
3

4. user-centered content
knowing your readers
1

5. people are
goal-driven
they want to get questions answered and
complete tasks
5

6. who is your primary
audience?
★ students
★ faculty
★ employees
★ researchers
★ visitors
★ librarians
6

7. what do you know about
them?
➔ experience with library systems
➔ technology they use
➔ other websites they use
➔ motivations
➔ challenges
➔ any other context
7

8. why are they here?
8
primary questions
➔ what do they want to know?
primary tasks
➔ what do they want to do?

9. meet the
navigator
“The library provides me with a
space to meet and study,
computers to use, printers to print
things, and a place to work quietly."
9

10. meet the
learner
"I use library resources to find
study material that helps prepare
me for upcoming tests and
projects."
10

11. primary questions
➔ what hours are the library open?
➔ what technology can I borrow?
➔ are study rooms available?
Nate the navigator
11
primary tasks
➔ reserve a study room
➔ place a book on hold
➔ request technology

12. primary questions
➔ how do I know if this article is
peer-reviewed?
➔ how do I cite this source?
Linda the learner
12
primary tasks
➔ complete a tutorial
➔ find a scholarly article
➔ cite sources

13. just-enough content
focus, simplify, layer
2

14. people
skim
they depend on headings and hunt
for links
14

15. people are
impatient
they’ll lose confidence quickly
15

16. “ The first 10 seconds of the page
visit are critical for users’ decision
to stay or leave.
Jakob Nielsen
Nielsen Norman Group
16

17. focus on
key
messages
17
primary
message
secondary
message
secondary
message
tertiary
message

18. If you prioritize
everything, you have
prioritized nothing.
18

19. 19

20. 20

21. layer to hide less relevant content
Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries
21

22. keep it
simple
basic structure and only what’s necessary
22

23. book recommendation
23
Letting Go of the Words: Writing
Web Content that Works
(2nd ed. 2012)
by Ginny Redish

24. “ Plain language is part of user-
centered design.
24
Ginny Redish
linguist, author,
& consultant

25. book recommendation
25
Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to
Creating Ridiculously Good Content
(2014)
by Ann Handley

26. 3 sentences
or less per paragraph
25 words
or less per sentence
6 lines
or less per paragraph
26

27. 27
1
1
2
2
3
up to 3 sentences per paragraph

28. 28
1
1
2
2
2
up to 6 lines per paragraph

29. 29
2
2
3
3
5
up to 6 lines per paragraph

30. 30
23
13
10,16
8,19
21,14,
12
up to 25 words per sentence

31. tighten things up
original revised
a minimum of at least
to ensure for
in spite of the fact that though
31

32. remove unnecessary words
32
➔ Please note…
➔ It should be noted that…
➔ It is interesting to note that…
➔ We should point out that…
➔ You will find that...

33. remove
unnecessary
form fields
33

34. remove unnecessary words
34
➔ Please note…
➔ It should be noted that…
➔ It is interesting to note that…
➔ We should point out that…
➔ You will find that...

35. avoid long noun phrases
original revised
data management consultation
request form
request a data management
consultation
English curriculum development
assistance
assistance in developing English
curriculum
35

36. Fragments?
Cool.
36
University of Houston Libraries

37. remove unnecessary instructions
37
➔ Fill out the survey below.
➔ Use the following steps to complete the process.
➔ Be sure to read these instructions carefully.

38. remove unnecessary instructions
38
➔ Fill out the survey below
➔ Use the following steps to complete the process
➔ Be sure to read these instructions carefully

39. book recommendation
39
Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense
Approach to Web (and Mobile) Usability
(3rd ed. 2014)
by Steve Krug

40. “
Your objective should always be
to eliminate instructions entirely
by making everything self-
explanatory, or as close to it as
possible.
40
Steve Krug, author of
Don’t Make Me Think

41. 41

42. 42

43. crystal clear content
free of jargon and ambiguity
3

44. write as a
conversation
the library is “we,” the user is “you”
44
we, us, our
you, your

45. 45UC Riverside Library

46. write like
you talk
46
Sonoma State University Library

47. avoid library jargon
original revised
circulation borrowing
periodicals magazines, journals
stacks bookshelves
47

48. …or explain it
48
University of Montana Library

49. avoid
vague
terms
49
essentially this
entire thing is a
resource, so how
are “resources”
different?

50. use active, direct voice
original revised
Eligibility will be verified. We’ll verify your eligibility.
Patrons must sign in to renew
books.
Sign in to renew your books.
The consultation request form
may be used.
Request a consultation.
50

51. use strong verbs
original revised
came upon discovered
get new furniture purchase new furniture
we are in support of we support
51

52. use strong nouns
original revised
the collective thinking across
campus is that...
students and faculty think...
the recommendations from the
committee are to...
the committee recommends...
52

53. avoid complex sentence
structure
53
“The library administration wants your help in identifying
actionable steps that faculty researchers can take to
accelerate the transition to and build capacity for more
open, inclusive, and equitable systems of scholarship,
service, and community outreach.”

54. avoid complex sentence
structure
54
“The library administration wants your help in identifying
actionable steps that faculty researchers can take to
accelerate the transition to and build capacity for more
open, inclusive, and equitable systems of scholarship,
service, and community outreach.”

55. avoid complex sentence
structure
55
Help us build more open, inclusive, and equitable
systems of scholarship.

56. make navigation obvious
56
where am I?
where can I go next?
what are other options?

57. 57

58. use meaningful link labels
original revised
The newsletter is now available. The newsletter is now available.
Mentor applicants, use this form. Apply to be a mentor.
If you can’t find the book, click
here to go to interlibrary loan.
If you can’t find the book, use
interlibrary loan.
58

59. 59

60. structured content
organized, logical, skimmable, point-of-need
4

61. have a plan
define your audience, key messages, and
calls to action upfront
61

62. 62

63. use
headings to
facilitate
skimming
63
University of Michigan Library

64. use sections
on longer
forms
64
University of Arizona Libraries

65. use tables
for tabular
if, then
content*
65
Grand Valley State University Libraries*never use tables for layout

66. Place your screenshot here
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use parallel
grammatical
structure
North Carolina State University Libraries

67. 67

68. use bullets
for lists of
related
items
68
Cal Poly Robert E. Kennedy Library

69. use numbers
for steps in a
process
69
Duke University Libraries

70. readable content
intuitive and easy on the eyes
5

71. make links
look like
links
71
Harvard Library

72. 72

73. 73

74. 74
never
underline
people assume underlined words
are links

75. 75
avoid
justification
it leads to inconsistent spacing
and makes things harder to read

76. 76
avoid
ALL CAPS
they are harder to read and can
sound like you’re shouting

77. 77
Avoid
Needless
Capitalization
it can make things harder to read and
cause confusion

78. Place your screenshot here
78
avoid italics
they are harder to read

79. Place your screenshot here
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consider
color
choices
aim for high contrast and don’t use
color to indicate meaning

80. writing well
is only the
beginning
you need a content strategy to sustain it
80

81. recommended reading
81

82. 82
thanks!
time for questions
@blakistonr
rebeccablakiston.info

83. credits
special thanks to this presentation template by
SlidesCarnival
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