website redesign

Dear Weblib folks:

   I am an Adult Services Librarian for a small/midsized
suburban Chicago
public library who is assisting with website maintenance.  I
have also been
having discussions with my manager and IT professional about
the design of
the site and am considering making suggestions to redesign
our website.

   Some examples of improvements we have discussed are
making the database
access and account logins more prominent, and just making it
less busy in
general.  After reflecting on these discussions, I'm really
wondering
whether a redesign is actually what is needed.

I have considered talking with local libraries regarding
borrowing ideas,
etc. - utilizing/borrowing templates from web editors, etc.

   Our website URL is http://www.westchi
cago.lib.il.us/.

  I would be new to such a daunting task as this - any
assistance whatsoever
with this process I am considering suggesting would be
greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
Raumin "Ray" Dehghan
Adult Services Librarian
West Chicago Public Library
West Chicago, Illinois
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Raumin "Ray" Dehghan wrote:
>...having discussions with my manager and IT
professional about the
>design of the site and am considering making suggestions
to
>redesign our website.
>
>Some examples of improvements we have discussed are
making the
>database access and account logins more prominent, and
just making
>it less busy in general.  After reflecting on these
discussions,
>I'm really wondering whether a redesign is actually what
is needed.
>
>   Our website URL is http://www.westchi
cago.lib.il.us/.


My advice would be to get some feedback from your patrons
about the
website.  How do they feel about it?  What do they like
about it?  What
don't they like?  What do they wish it had?  What would they
change
about it?  Etc.

Posting a survey prominently on the website would be one way
to solicit
some feedback with minimal effort.  That would go a long way
in helping
you decide if a redesign is needed, and what you might want
to change
about the design.  A user study (although much more time
consuming)
would also give you some good information.

--
Jonathan Bloy
Web Services Librarian
Edgewood College
Madison, Wisconsin
http://library.edgewood.
edu/
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

Raumin "Ray" Dehghan wrote:
>...having discussions with my manager and IT
professional about the
>design of the site and am considering making suggestions
to
>redesign our website.
>
>Some examples of improvements we have discussed are
making the
>database access and account logins more prominent, and
just making
>it less busy in general.  After reflecting on these
discussions,
>I'm really wondering whether a redesign is actually what
is needed.
>
>   Our website URL is http://www.westchi
cago.lib.il.us/.


My advice would be to get some feedback from your patrons
about the
website.  How do they feel about it?  What do they like
about it?  What
don't they like?  What do they wish it had?  What would they
change
about it?  Etc.

Posting a survey prominently on the website would be one way
to solicit
some feedback with minimal effort.  That would go a long way
in helping
you decide if a redesign is needed, and what you might want
to change
about the design.  A user study (although much more time
consuming)
would also give you some good information.

--
Jonathan Bloy
Web Services Librarian
Edgewood College
Madison, Wisconsin
http://library.edgewood.
edu/
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/