This document provides guidance on improving the content strategy for a library website. It discusses conducting a content audit to evaluate the accuracy, usefulness, usage, writing for the web standards, and date of updates for existing content. It also recommends establishing workflows for content requests, reviews, edits, approvals, publishing, updates and removals. Additionally, it suggests developing personas representing common user groups to understand their goals and tasks when using the site.

1. EVALUATE & IMPROVE YOUR LIBRARY WEBSITE IN 10 STEPS
PART TWO:
CONTENT STRATEGY
AMANDA ETCHES
AARON SCHMIDT

2. READING
ON THE WEB
WRITING
FOR THE WEB

3. READING
ON THE WEB

7. FUNCTIONAL
READING

8. SKIM GLANCE
SCAN BROWSE

14. WRITING
INSERT
FOR THE WEB

16. TYPOGRAPHY
CONVENTIONS
WRITING
STRATEGY
PERSONAS

17. TYPOGRAPHY

18. READ THIS:
THE AESTHETICS
OF READING

19. TYPEFACE

20. Serif

21. Sans

22. Georgia
Times

23. Helvetica
Tahoma

26. NOT TOO BIG
NOT TOO SMALL

28. 16px

29. GRIDS!

34. COLUMN WIDTH

35. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do
eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Lorem
ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do
eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Lorem
ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

36. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do
eiusmod tempor incididunt ut
labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do
eiusmod tempor incididunt ut
labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do
eiusmod tempor incididunt ut
labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,

37. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing
elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et
dolore magna aliqua. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor
incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing
elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et
dolore magna aliqua. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor
incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
abcdefghijklmnopqurtuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqurtu
40 - 80 CHARACTERS

40. READ THIS

41. PAGE RHYTHM

42. MAKE IT
SCANNABLE

43. HEADING
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
HEADING
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT

44. HEADING
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
HEADING
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT

45. HEADING
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
HEADING
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT
CONTENT CONTENT

46. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipisicing elit,
sed do eiusmod tempor
incididunt ut labore et dolore
magna aliqua.

47. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipisicing elit,
sed do eiusmod tempor
incididunt ut labore et dolore
magna aliqua.

48. BODY COPY * 1.5 = LINE HEIGHT
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipisicing elit,
sed do eiusmod tempor
incididunt ut labore et dolore
magna aliqua.

49. HEADER 1
HEADER 2
HEADER 3

50. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipisicing elit,
sed do eiusmod tempor
incididunt ut labore et dolore
magna aliqua.
This is a link.

51. TEMPLATES

53. CONVENTIONS

54. LINK
COMPASSIONATELY

55. http://www.yourlibrary.org/section/ref/12/list6/dir/kids.html
WARNING!

56. http://www.yourlibrary.org/section/ref/12/list6/dir/kids.html
http://yourlibrary.org/kids

57. Log-in from off-campus:
http://login.library.ca
WARNING!

58. Log-in from off-campus:
http://login.library.ca
Log-in from off campus

59. Click here to
access PsycINFO
WARNING!

60. Click here to
access PsycINFO
Search PsycINFO

61. USE ADEQUATE
CONTRAST

62. And clip art!
SKIP THAT
BRILLIANT
ANIMATION

63. PAGES MUST
NOT BE WRITTEN
BY PASSIVE VOICED
LIBRARIANS

64. A library card is
required to check
out items.

65. WRITE IN THE
ACTIVE VOICE

66. You need a library card
to check stuff out.

67. WHAT IS YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS?
HOW DO I
RESET MY PIN?

68. ONE THOUGHT
PER SENTENCE
FRAGMENTS
CAN WORK

69. INSERT
WRITING

70. WARNING!

71. website tips
flickr.com/photos/eye2eye/50892860

72. ?
YOUR SITE = FAQ

73. WARNING!

75. website tips
WARNING!

76. website tips

77. READ THIS

78. READ THIS

79. CONTENT
PROCESS

80. PLANNING FOR THE
CREATION,
DELIVERY, &
GOVERNANCE OF
USEFUL,
USABLE, &
DESIRABLE CONTENT

81. INSERT
JUNK DRAWER SYNDROME
flickr.com/photos/29541077@N00/4711956912

82. CONTENT AUDIT

83. ACCURATE
USEFULNESS
USED
WEB-WRITTEN
ON MESSAGE
LAST UPDATED

84. WEB-WRITTEN
0
0
0
0
0

85. WORKFLOW

86. REQUEST RE
CREATE C TU E
RU ORIZ
ST EG
EDIT C AT
APPROVE TY LE
S
PUBLISH
UPDATE
ARCHIVE
REMOVE

88. READ THIS

89. PERSONAS

90. WHAT DO
PEOPLE WANT
DO TO ON
THIS SITE?

91. ???? ???
PEOPLE ????
?? ?? ??
???? ?????

92. STUDENTS
&
FACULTY

93. UNDERGRADS
FACULTY
ADJUNCTS

94. KIDS
TEENS
ADULTS

95. READERS
LEARNERS
ENTERTAINMENT

96. USER INTERVIEWS

97. BRAINSTORM
COMMON
TASKS

98. GROUP
UNIQUE
TASKS

99. NAME GROUPS

100. Potsdam University Libraries Personas 1 of 2
Y
Sylvia Page Alice Cummings Ted Hendricks Esther Cambridge
AR
Name
IM
PR
@ Potsdam Undergrad Researcher Education Faculty Undergrad Student w/ Disability Music Graduate Student
Age 22 45 20 26
Quote "I don't use the library stuff....I just use "I've never been good about bringing "I don't do as much group work as I'd "I'm all over campus. Sometimes I'm in
Google Scholar because I type what I my classes to the library...I know I could like to… it's hard because a lot of a practice space, sometimes I'm looking
want and it pops up with the exact collaborate more with the librarians students don't really know what to do for good wifi, and sometimes I'm too
article I'm looking for." here, but honestly, I just haven't had the around some who's disabled. It's not exhausted to go anywhere so I do
time to do that, and I've felt a little badly their fault, they're just not used to it… research at home."
about it." My biggest issue is trying to figue out
how to make them feel comfortable, you
know?"
Goals Find research materials as quickly Connect the theory and practice of Use technology to improve access Find a job in my field.
as possible teacher education for education to textbooks and other printed
students.
materials. Get as much content as I can
Maintain high GPA Connect students with education online for all my classes.
theorists. Use as many campus resources to
Balance schoolwork with life improve my mobility and access Get better at narrowing down my
Teach students how to find good,
to materials. research focus.
quality research.
Get a research assistant job.
Become a better researcher, using Become as independent as Get better at keeping up with the
Get better at doing research faster library resources more effectively possible getting around campus. research happening in my field.
and more efficiently.
Encourage students to ask questions
and think critically

101. Potsdam University Libraries Personas 1 of 2
Y
Sylvia Page Alice Cummings Ted Hendricks Esther Cambridge
AR
Name
IM
PR
@ Potsdam Undergrad Researcher Education Faculty Undergrad Student w/ Disability Music Graduate Student
Age
Quote
22
CRITICAL TASKS
"I don't use the library stuff....I just use
Google Scholar because I type what I
45
"I've never been good about bringing
my classes to the library...I know I could
20
"I don't do as much group work as I'd
like to… it's hard because a lot of
26
"I'm all over campus. Sometimes I'm in
a practice space, sometimes I'm looking
want and it pops up with the exact collaborate more with the librarians students don't really know what to do for good wifi, and sometimes I'm too
article I'm looking for." here, but honestly, I just haven't had the around some who's disabled. It's not exhausted to go anywhere so I do
time to do that, and I've felt a little badly their fault, they're just not used to it… research at home."
about it." My biggest issue is trying to figue out
how to make them feel comfortable, you
know?"
Goals Find research materials as quickly Connect the theory and practice of Use technology to improve access Find a job in my field.
as possible teacher education for education to textbooks and other printed
students.
materials. Get as much content as I can
Maintain high GPA Connect students with education online for all my classes.
theorists. Use as many campus resources to
Balance schoolwork with life improve my mobility and access Get better at narrowing down my
Teach students how to find good,
to materials. research focus.
quality research.
Get a research assistant job.
Become a better researcher, using Become as independent as Get better at keeping up with the
Get better at doing research faster library resources more effectively possible getting around campus. research happening in my field.
and more efficiently.
Encourage students to ask questions
and think critically

102. ASSESSING
INSERT
CONTENT

103. TASK
COMPLETION

104. TUNE IN
NEXT WEEK

105. ?????

106. THANKS!!
AMANDA ETCHES
AARON SCHMIDT
WEAREINFLUX.COM
HELLO@WEAREINFLUX.COM