Carrie’s LIS Weblog

Here is the link to my website! 

http://domin.dom.edu/students/fogeelle/carrielis753/page1.html

For the website assignment, I chose to make a site about library resources for college theater majors. I work at a performing arts library, and while we have lots of resources for music students, we’re still lacking in reaching out to theater students. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to get some ideas going. I started by creating the story board and thinking about what kind of information I wanted to put on each page. I decided to make the opening page state what the library can do for students, include some images, and have links for the other pages and emailing the staff. The second page would include library resources such as new books, a list of theater periodicals, and a list of musicals on VHS or DVD. I decided to have the third page include links to theater websites, Chicago area theaters, and a list of online databases.

Designing and laying out the pages turned out to be more difficult than I thought. Not because making the tags was hard—actually, by the end, that part was easy—but because I kept changing my mind. First I would think something looked good in the center, than I’d move it back to the left, than I’d move it to the center again. I also debated with factors such as font size, whether certain information looked better on the top or the bottom, etc. I rearranged the pages several times, trying different layouts until I felt satisfied. Part of this was because I wanted to minimize scrolling as much as possible. I was also trying to put myself in the patron’s shoes and wanted to make the site as visually appealing and accessible as possible.

Some tasks turned out to be fairly simple. For example, I had never made a pdf file before, but converting it took less than a minute; I was surprised at how easy it was. Other tasks, such as creating tables, proved more challenging. At first, I just couldn’t get the codes right and the tables wouldn’t show up properly. However, after trying it a few times, I finally got the hang of it and didn’t need to see the example sheets anymore. After awhile, things started to gel together and I was able to craft some decent pages.

Although it had been stressed that we shouldn’t worry if other people in the class have more web design experience, I admit that I was still concerned that my pages would look too basic compared to everyone else’s. However, I then realized how far I had come. Before this class, I had never made a website in my life and knew nothing about HTML coding. By the end of the project, I didn’t even have to look at the instruction sheets anymore; I knew the tags by heart. I began to enjoy experimenting with the pages and felt a sense of accomplishment every time I refreshed the page and saw the tags work. While I’m still not super website-savvy, I have learned so much from this project. The skills I have developed will help me in the future if I am ever asked to help create and/or update a library website.

*Note–a little added frustration today.  When it was time to put our files on the I drive, I clicked on “my computer” only to see that my I drive wasn’t there!  I had filled out all the paperwork, so I went to the IT department to see if anyone could help me find out why it wasn’t coming up.  No one was on staff though, so I came back and Michael said to ask a classmate to let me use their username and I drive.  Thankfully, Ellen was kind enough to let me use hers.  My website link has her username in it, but at least now my site is up and working!  It’s frustrating when you do all this work only to have something go wrong, but that’s just how technology is sometimes.  It reminded me to relax when these things happen and remember that there’s (almost) always an alternative solution.

I read an interesting editorial in the Daily Herald newspaper today about a blogger who’s been sued for libel.  You can read it at http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=80805&src=.  It’s an editorial, so it’s opinion-based rather than fact-based, but it still gives some good information.  Since we’re all blogging now, it’s good to keep this in mind!

Since it’s been a few weeks since my last post, I first just wanted to say that I too thouroughly enjoyed the visit from our Dutch friends!  Now I want to go to the Netherlands so I can check out their library in person.

 Back to my post topic.  Our website review assignment last month couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.  Right around the time I was finishing it up was when my supervisor announced that the library was going to get a website revamp.  He asked our department to look at our portion of the website and do pretty much the same thing Michael asked us to do.  I had to look at the site, write down what I thought worked and didn’t work, offer suggestions for changes or new ideas, etc.  Since I was on the heels of our assignment, I was all gung-ho and had all these suggestions for improving it.  (I love being able to apply the class to work situations, by the way!)

My supervisor then called a meeting and wanted us to share our ideas.  He even brought a laptop and hooked it up to the Internet so we could actually look at the site as we discussed.  He also asked me to share some of what I was doing for our class, so I showed the North Carolina State and Columbia College sites to my co-workers.  I just pointed out a few things like their use of color, categories, photos, etc.  We got a good discussion going and were brainstorming some great ideas.

However, my supervisor then told us that while we had some terrific suggestions, we wouldn’t actually be able to do a lot of them.  Each department must follow a website style manual that the university puts out, and there are stipulations on things such as use of color, heading and margin size, etc.  We just don’t have the creative license to do whatever we want.  I hadn’t thought of this when I was doing the assignment; I just made suggestions with the assumption that it could be done.  But it definitely changes things when you learn you can’t do that.

Naturally, this can be frustrating.  You want your website to be as snappy, easy to use, and user-friendly as possible, but what do you do about the regulations?  Since we aren’t able to change the rules right now, we’ve made some simple changes that have really made a difference, even if they’re not what we had first envisioned.  Our department’s old site, for example, was not organized at all and was what one of my former co-workers called the “toilet paper site”–it just kept scrolling and scrolling.  But my supervisor organized all the links into categories–thus greatly minimizing the scrolling–and added a photo of students in the library.  That already made it seem much more user-friendly.  He also added a link to the library’s newest service–a podcast.  Since we are a performing arts library, a podcast seems ideal for music and theater students (this month it’s on the life and music of Silvestre Revueltas), and is a great addition to the site.

While we can’t do everything on the site that we want to, just making some small but ultimately major changes can make a difference.  So when you don’t have the creative freedom, you just have to do what you can, keep your patrons in mind, and try to make it as user-friendly as possible. 

Just today, my boss asked if I would show him my Facebook page.  “I’m still kinda clueless about these new technology sites,” he told me.  So I gladly showed him my page and he marveled at how I could post pictures, connect with old friends, etc.–all through a simple website.  But while it just seems like part of everyday life today, the Internet is still relatively young and has an interesting history.

 I found it interesting to read about the Internet’s origins.  I did some Google searching, and most sites state that the Internet can be traced back to the 1960s, when ARPANET started developing.  Wikipedia defines ARPANET as “the world’s first operational packet switching network.”  ARPANET was just the beginning though–soon other countries besides the U.S. were connecting their networks through TCP/IP.  In its early stages, the Internet was used by and for computer scientists and the government (later expanding to universities).  In the U.S., DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) was a major force behind the Internet, and in Europe, CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) was another key player.

Fast forward to the late 1980’s and early 90’s.  The Internet was alredy allowed use at universities for research, and around this time expanded to commerce.   The Computer History Museum online also cites the late 80’s as being the time when the concept of the “World Wide Web” was first introduced.  The 90’s saw the growth of email and the use of the World Wide Web among everyday citizens.  I think for a lot of people, the draw was how fast the Internet was (although it was slower than it is today!)  I can still remember my first experience with the Internet in high school and just being amazed at how fast I could get information.

This leads us today, with billions of web pages, high-speed Internet options, and networking sites such as Facebook, which continues to amaze my boss.  He has three young children, and I asked him what sort of technology he thought his children might encounter in the future.  “Who knows?” he said.  “When they’re older, things like Facebook and Myspace will probably seem old and like nothing to them.”  He may be right!  Who knows how the Internet will continue to evolve in the future…..

Web Tool Review: Wikis

(Note—I’m just going to envision that I’m providing this information for my Roosevelt University Performing Arts Library co-workers).

Today’s librarians are increasingly looking for new ways to connect with patrons and each other. One of the ways libraries are now doing this is through wikis. Wikipedia defines Wikis as “a medium which can be edited by anyone with access to it, and provides an easy method for linking from one page to another.” Essentially, wikis are like websites or electronic discussion boards, but the difference is that anyone who is signed in can edit and write information on it. Many librarians have begun using wikis, from school libraries to public libraries to academic libraries. One of the best things about wikis is that they can be used by staff members or patrons on topics ranging from book discussions to updating staff procedures manuals.

Setting up a wiki is easy. One way to get it going is to install open-source software such as Mediawiki or Tikiwiki. According to Wikipedia, Mediawiki is the most popular software and will give an appearance similar to that of Wikipedia. Or you can go to a hosted “wiki farm” (defined by Wikipedia as a server that provides a hosting for a wiki) site and use software such as Wikipspaces, PBwiki or Wetpaint Wiki. I found several library wikis that used PB or Wetpaint. Once the wiki is set up, then librarians just have to get the word out! Then users can start commenting on topics, editing the pages, and creating fun discussion amongst themselves.

In order to demonstrate how wikis are currently being used, I’ve provided three examples of library wikis.

• Yale Arts Library wiki at http://yaleartslib.pbwiki.com/. This is an example of an academic library wiki, with this one being tailored to arts students. Users can view and edit information on artist copyright, library resources on the arts, scholarship info, and Yale arts faculty.
• Roosevelt University Library wiki—this is also an academic library wiki, but instead of being geared towards students and faculty, this one is just for the staff. Since Roosevelt has two different campus locations—Chicago and Schaumburg—it’s a good way for staff to keep each other informed about what’s going on in their department. The wiki includes pages for all the library committees, contains forms such as instruction session evaluations, and allows librarians to discuss various topics without having to email each other back and forth.
• Since the wiki is intended for internal use only, I prefer that the link not be made public. Instead, I’ve included a screen shot (used with permission) of one of the topics being discussed. These are some ideas were thrown around as possible library blog topics. NOTE—I’m having some trouble getting the screen shot to come up, but I was able to copy and paste some of it on here.  If I can get the entire shot to come up I’ll post it.

• Pierce County Library System (Tacoma, Washington) wiki at http://wiki.piercecountylibrary.org/?t=anon. This is an example of a public library wiki. Patrons can view the teen blog entries, discuss their favorite books and movies, and add to the ‘favorite places in the area’ list.

As a performing arts library, we can use wiki for a variety of topics. Since Roosevelt University already has a staff library wiki, it would be helpful to create one for our students and faculty. We could possibly adopt some of the same things that Yale University has used on their wiki, but tailor it for Roosevelt music and theatre students. Possible topics could include tips for music score searching, where to find course reserve lists, and helpful music and theater job and internship sites. We could also include pages for faculty on topics such as how to set up a reserve list and what laws are concerning music and theater copyright.

If you’d like to read more about wikis, there’s plenty of articles out there. One I like is Putting Wikis into Play by Michael Stephens and Rachel Singer Gorden from Computers in Libraries, volume 27 #2 February 2007, pages 42-43. The article does a good job of explaining wikis in simple terms and gives librarians helpful tips on how to get started. Another good article is An Information Skills Workout: Wikis and Collaborative Writing by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson from Teacher Librarian, Volume 34 #5 June 2007, pages 57-59. This article explains the basic characteristics of wikis and explains how librarians can use them in the classroom to teach students to work together for writing exercises. It’s a good example of one of the unique ways wikis are used.

Happy wiki-ing!

After studying the Dominican University library website, I think it has some positive features and is definitely moving in the right direction, but it could probably benefit from some modifications. NCSU and Columbia College Chicago are both good examples of how libraries can have a professional, yet fun site.

Visual attractiveness: I found the NCSU site- http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/ -very visually attractive. Instead of having a bare background with just one or two colors, the site makes use of photos at the top, graphics in the middle of the page, and different colors to enhance visual interest. The photos of the library and students studying add a fun visual element, and the color-coded boxes below make it easy for the students to eyeball what they’re looking for.

Columbia College’s site- http://www.lib.colum.edu/ -is very basic, yet still visually attractive. Although the site contains a white background, the photo and different color headings still keep it visually attractive without being boring. I also prefer Columbia’s use of fonts—the headings are bigger than the rest of the text, while NCSU uses almost entirely the same font throughout.

Layout/Ease of Use: NCSU lays out its information very nicely—everything is categorized into boxes. Additionally, in the “Browse Subjects: box, clicking one of the links brings up a pop-up box. You can then click on whichever field you’re looking for and are taken directly to that area’s information on research help and resources.One thing I like about both NCSU and the Columbia College site is that they both have information divided into different color categories and maintain the same color throughout the categories’ pages. For example, on the Columbia page, “find books” is under a red heading. If you click the link for it, the following page still keeps the red heading and the research tab stays on the right side of the page. You always know what part of the site you’re at and it makes it easier to navigate.  For example, see the link  http://www.lib.colum.edu/research/findBooks.php

I once had a co-worker describe what he called the “toilet paper” site—the kind of site that just keeps scrolling and scrolling. NCSU and Columbia both manage to keep all of their information on one page and structured in a way that requires little scrolling.

Content/human element: As a primarily visual arts and media school, Columbia College does a good job of tailoring their site to their unique student body. The “About” section contains links to images from the library’s art exhibits, and the library blog (found under “Library News) uses language and topics familiar to arts students. For example, there’s an entry on a staff member who was named “one to watch” in fashion and links to his own clothing design line. This shows that the staff knows how to connect with their student body.

Suggestions for Dominican site improvements

Visual appearance: The current library website- http://domweb.dom.edu/library/crown/ -is a little stark and bland; it doesn’t attract much visual interest. I think Dominican could take a cue from NCSU and Columbia and add some color to the site, perhaps by color-coding the different categories.

Layout/ease of use: I like the categories and would not change them, but I would perhaps arrange them in a different way—it would help to not have to scroll down too much. Perhaps if they were arranged in columns of three rather than two, it would make the site easier to navigate. It would also help if separate categories were created for faculty/staff and students. The faculty link could include information such as how to book an instruction session, while the student link could include information such as how to how to view what’s checked out on their account.

There were also a few cases of clicking a link and having the subsequent page contain mostly white space at the top, forcing you to scroll down to view the information, such as when you follow this link http://domweb.dom.edu/library/crown/lib/govdocs.htm. The white space at the top should be eliminated.

Content/human element:The Dominican library site doesn’t feel very personal. When you access the library site from Dominican’s home page, you see the icon and quote of Michael Stephens, which I like, but it would also help to add a ‘welcome’ graphic and a photo or two—perhaps of students studying in the cyber café or at one of the tables.The Dominican library site has some helpful features and is off to a good start, but a little retouching will help make it even better!

A note to those who commented on Roosevelt University’s library blog–my colleagues really appreciated your nice comments.  And apparently the word is finally starting to get out more–readership has gone up!

One of the librarians who writes the blog, Jake, told me that I’m welcome to contribute to the blog anytime.  I definitely hope to–what a great experience!

I’m relatively new to the whole social networking experience. Although MySpace and Facebook have been around for a few years now, it wasn’t until this summer that I started my own Facebook page. I used to be sort of wary about creating such pages because I didn’t like the thought of people I don’t know viewing my information. However, I have found Facebook to be a fun and interesting experience (and I’ve adjusted the site’s privacy settings so that not just anyone can see my profile). I’ve been able to get back in touch with people from high school and college and it also allows me to connect with other Dominican GSLIS students.

However, Facebook is not just for connecting with friends. I read an interesting column in yesterday’s Chicago Tribune “Swamp” blog (a blog that covers politics and what’s happening in Washington). The column discussed a recent finding that young people are increasingly using Facebook to keep up with the political scene. For example, people can join Facebook “groups” that promote a particular politician—I have a number of friends who belong to the “1 million strong for Barack” group. Also, people can become Facebook “friends” with political candidates—two of my friends are “friends” with Tammy Duckworth. The column questioned whether Facebook is really causing young people to become more politically active. One expert that was interviewed said yes, but another expert said that he thinks Facebook is more of an opportunity to “bring like-minded people together.” I agree with this assessment. I belong to the Facebook “Support Arts Education” group because I strongly believe in keeping music and art alive in schools, but I’m not actively on the frontlines fighting for it. Facebook is just a place for me to state my position.

The Swamp column made me wonder how libraries can use Facebook. I’m not sure if librarians could really use it to connect with users. Could patrons really be able to find their librarians on Facebook and “friend” them? I’m not so sure that would work. However, Facebook is an excellent way for librarians to network amongst themselves. I belong to several librarian-related Facebook groups, including the Dominican GSLIS one. These groups can be very helpful for librarians to bounce ideas of each other. My boss recently told me that my name was brought up as a suggestion for the library’s student liaison. I have no experience with that, so if I do get that post, the Dominican Facebook group might be a good place to get suggestions and feedback on possible ideas. Also, librarians could use Facebook as a way to get the word out on upcoming events. Facebook allows you to create invitations, so librarians could send them out to friends, who could send them to other friends, etc. Ultimately, networking sites such as Facebook are tools that librarians should be aware of and explore how they can help them serve their patrons.