I'm not the only one down ...

With the new library web site successfully launched on Monday, a week later than planned with a few general qualifiers and necessary ammendments, I am looking forward to reading for pleasure at lunch and getting back to writing and posting book reviews.

The circles are pretty, but I kind of liked the Bloglines plumber fixing the pipes.

It's coming ...

It is official! The new web site will be transferred to the live server (as opposed to the review server) Monday morning at 9:00 am. The process should take 30 minutes, but I have posted to our library news blog cautioning patrons it may not be finished until noon. This way I have some leeway to make any necessary changes and/or tweaks.

I am joyous and yet oddly indifferent; it has been such a long, involved process the actual roll-out is almost anti-climactic. I am sure most of those feelings will be over run with glee when everything is live and works. I'm proud of what has been accomplished - and - am sure we could have done more. That's often the case with this type of project, as soon as it is complete there are ten more things I wanted to do.

I will soon be confronted by my "to-do" list, full of things that have been cast aside in favor of time spent on the web site. I worry about the towering mass of lists, folders, catalogs, journals, and magazines, one good wind and my filing system is defunct.

Cautiously optomistic

Barring any unforeseen circumstance such as the sky falling, the university server crashing, something I do not mention lightly as it is currently undergoing maintenance and I am unable to use it, or any other fickle whim of fate, the new library web site will be finished this week. I am not sure I have the words to express my unmitigated joy knowing it will be finished.

Yes, I know there will be bugs to work out.

Yes, I know we can not please everyone.

Yes, I know it will take time for the campus community to adjust to the new site (we are creatures of habit).

But the overall daily issues will be at an end. This has been an exhilarating and exhausting experience. I have learned so much more than additional web skills; specifically internal library employee structure and hierarchy. I may actually be able to face my computer in the evening and begin posting with regularity again. Regardless, I have two pages to complete and a site map to update this afternoon. I will look over everything again tomorrow and release it to the library director who will in turn determine when to contact the university web master to make the changes.

My current favorite book

I cannot help being book fickle, so honesty compelled me title this post thusly; Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 How-To's: 100 Essential Techniques, by David Karlins, made my week. I know I talked about this book in a previous post, flush with my web success I decided it deserved a second mention.

After spending the last ten days transferring existing resource center pages to the new library template, Thursday afternoon I finished the site and was ready to create the menu include and "put" everything on the review server for a test drive. The new template is library specific, none of the menu options within its header link to resource center pages. Therefore my side menu has to function as a stand-alone feature allowing users to maneuver through both the resource center and library site independently while still co-existing. I narrowed my choice to drop down menus (ungainly for my purpose) or spry menus and determined using a spry menu widget would solve the problem nicely.

Relatively sure the process could be painless, grabbed my Dreamweaver books for a how-to refresher. 100 Essential Techniques had several short chapters on using spry widgets and menus. With the book on my desk and site map nearby for reference, I created a three level menu. Next came the color options - or rather lack of color in this instance. I wanted only the palest of colors for rollover effect and absolutely no color on the menu itself so it would blend with the existing template palette. This was a bit trickier as the book had no specifics regarding individual css commands associated with the menu (there were general instructions). I started at the top of the css menu and assessed each to remove or add color as needed.

It was then time to "put" my pages on the review server and I gleefully sent my folders, images, and spry menu items. Thankfully the review server is immediate and I was able to check my work without the regular two hour delay.

IT WORKED!

Let me say that again.

IT WORKED!

And, even better, it was not hideous. I ignored it for a day and checked all of the menu links with a fresh eye on while working on Saturday (it was my summer weekend schedule). One task down, another equally daunting one awaits me as I continue my quest to get page content from others on the committee. That is a complaint for another day.

My keyboard ... it's a sign

I have 28 more author information pages to complete before moving on to the next section of the resource center web page/library template project. It is well within my grasp to finish the entire conversion, create a menu include, and send it to the preview server (something I recently learned I have access to) this week; especially since I am scheduled to work Saturday (sigh). As I trudge along my merry way creating new template pages using keyboard shortcuts, I noted the advance decay of my laptop keyboard ...


and have been thankful for one summer school session during my youth when I learned basic typing and keyboarding skills. Because of this I "know" what key is positioned where and am not soley reliant on the visual. Yes, there are letters missing, worn-off from use.

U, I, O on the top row
H, K, L, on the second row
N and M on the bottom row

The space bar and "mouse" pad both look a bit worse for wear as well. An IT student technician ordered me a replacement keyboard, it was under warranty, and just recently told me it arrived several months ago; no word on why it's living there instead of on my computer. Go figure.

Collaboration not capitulation

Midway into finals week, where hope and campus flowers spring eternal, blooms a library web committee meeting. As pondered last Tuesday in the post Introspection, maybe it's me, I had a private meeting with the library director last Wednesday morning (April 30th). I spent time trouble-shooting a problem with Contribute and then broached my solution to the stagnate web page progress.

The offer to remove myself from the committee was at first met with the very fair reminder he attempted to do just that the previous week. I calmly disagreed stating that offering to remove myself from the process at this juncture differed greatly from being told my opinion and observations were superfluous.

This is where I insert a comment regarding the open door policy employed by my boss. Because of this, I was secure in the knowledge he would listen to what I had to say with an open mind and know I meant no disrespect (ie: I was not being a smart ass). While I may disagree with him at times regarding this project, it will get my best effort.

We talked for thirty to forty-five minutes and I presented my plan for the committee to move forward without me for the next several weeks. In a telling moment of humor he was taken aback I had bullet points and a full word document as notes, I don't know why, but it helped make the atmosphere conducive to continuing discussion. I left the office on Wednesday morning with his assurance he would consider my proposal and we would meet again on Monday (yesterday).

In the meantime, I updated our collection of sample pages with information from our meeting and continued to move forward with as much of the web design process as deemed possible. Other members of the web committee talked with me regarding their discontent; I suggested they talk with the director and/or be prepared to speak up. I do not mind taking the cranky lead, but if changes are to be made everyone has to contribute comments, suggestions, and opinions (one and the same).

Yesterday the decision was made that I remain with the committee. As promised, I abided by the ruling. Without betraying confidences, I mentioned the dissatisfaction other members were feeling and said my biggest concern was that this web page remained a collaboration, not a capitulation. Everyone's opinion is needed and we should not go with whoever talks the longest and loudest just to shut up and move on.

Today ... progress was made.

It was just a baby step; but it was a baby step forward.

Now? It is time for Dancing with the Stars 100th episode.

Introspection, maybe it's me

Another web committee design meeting took place this afternoon. Another hour and fifteen minutes of round-table discussion. Another session in which decisions were not made and consensus not reached. Maybe it's time to suggest taking this process in another direction; remove me from the mix.

I just finished emailing myself notes, I am going to request a meeting with the director and propose a few changes that may remove some friction and change the tide of our discussions.

1. There remains considerable lack of progress with the site/main page. At this point, we should have enough that I can start work on the actual page, a few bare bones to be placed in the template when it arrives at the end of May.
2. I suggest removing me from the committee mix, leaving the director and reference team intact. There seems to be a problem (reference verses web design) and this temporary switch may make things progress.
3. This suggestion will be followed by a proposed compromise; ground rules if I may be so bold.

Allow me, as webmaster, to make a few design decisions to simplify the page. Stick with our main plan utilizing a main page, secondary page, and tertiary pages when necessary. Continue to streamline the site by having fewer steps for the users ... less (confusion) = more (usability).

Have the reference staff and director designate vocabulary and display order for the remaining categories, excepting resource center information and proposed spotlight items. Determine the order and vocabulary for items in help, reference, and quick links.

Lastly, recommend the following; while pondering vocabulary and order, stop looking at other web pages. Concentrate on our resources. Continuing to bring new ideas to the table is mucking up the process (technical term, mucking). I guarantee, once we finish there will be at least a dozen things we think could have been done better. But we need to cease and desist, it is causing us to run around in circles.

I do not want this to be seen as me holding my breath to get my way. Quite the opposite. I am desperate for progress to be made. At the current pace, I'll be old and gray (not so gray thanks to L'oreal because I'm worth it) before the site is complete.

Fingers crossed.

Discontented bratty behavior

One week left in the spring term, one weekend left in the spring term, and four days of finals left in the spring term; time left until my brain explodes can not be calculated in terms. Though in all fairness, the state of my brain really has no bearing on the students, their haphazard completion of work, or even their end of term neediness. That's why I'm there.

I have been reading a lot lately about librarian burn out. Professionals who have so many responsibilities due to budget cuts, disinterest, and perhaps even a bit of management ennui, that they are running from the library in droves. Not to that point yet, I can say I understand what is driving this discourse. My professional discontent, no surprise here, is web page based. Weeks of meetings have extended into months of discussion. All along the new library web page has made only negotiable progress. For the last two weeks we have been discussing what topics go under the heading "find" on the new page.

Yes, for the last two weeks.

Understandably, each suggestion is followed by discussion of its potential pertinence to the category. Understandably, vocabulary should be evaluated from both a user and librarian perspective. But two weeks of discussion to determine if we use article, journal, periodical, or magazine to describe the serials collection borders on ridiculous. Quite frankly students do not care how we arrive at the decision. As librarians we need to make a vocabulary decision, define it in simple terms, use it consistently throughout the web site and during instruction sessions, and build upon it moving towards information literacy standards. Informed users make better research decisions. It is not that hard; subscribe to the KISS theory, keep it simple stupid. That groundwork, in my personal opinion, is the basis for the aforementioned bratty behavior. I am not particularly proud of it, but it is what it is (obviously I am not very loquacious this evening).

Moving on ...

Folder to binder

There are ten days until the last day of class. Cabin fever, also known as I can not wait until the term is over, has hit everyone with a vengeance. As one professor succinctly put it last week, we are all just sick of each other. To that point, the library instituted end of term extended hours yesterday and will remain open until 2:00 am Sunday through Thursdays. Students may use the library as a place; no circulation or reference services are available after midnight, but space and computers for studying and group work are. Ultimately, it's a refuge for peace and quiet away from the dorms.

My end of term angst surprisingly enough centers on the web committee (what? the library page is not done yet?) and its members inherent resistance to make a decision. Last week we spent an hour and a half discussing vocabulary for items to be placed in the "find" category. I still do not know what we will be finding. On the plus side, my new web page binder is pretty, organized, and chock full of notes and information. I have sections devoted to:

• Committee meeting notes
• Site map notes
  
• Library Google account resources
  
• Widget & page tool samples
• Web statistic information
  
• Dreamweaver CS3 & Contribute
• Meebo account information
  
• Chat marketing, integration & policy statements
• Space for more information
  

(I also just had the oddest tasting cookie, I think it was ginger with chocolate and marshmallow. Possibly a smores cookie, but I digress.) The more information area looks to be filled with samples of other academic library chat icon buttons. I have been doing research on what people are using on their main pages to attract patrons to IM/chat and other forms of library reference and research help. There seems to be a couple of recurring themes, one using the icon showing a person reaching out of a computer monitor to help and the other featuring different IM client logos. Not sure that we want to advocate using a specific IM client instead of our Meebo chat, I am leaning more towards an appropriate clip art icon with our service name.

Now? I'm to meet with the boss and help him work with Contribute and web pages. I am not sure if he wants to make a word document into an html page or if he wants to insert a word document/handout into an existing page. I hope it is the latter and suspect it is the former.

Testing IM over break

In the midst of all the snow excitement I forgot to mention library web page updates are currently in place for the new IM service, Ask Us. Before closing on Friday I tweaked the new IM page by adding the following note: "Navigating away from this IM page or closing your browser will effectively end your chat/IM session." While most students using the service will undoubtedly have multiple windows open, we felt it necessary to place this notice for those who may not. I added the IM service to our "what's new" page and then placed it prominently on the main library page. Allowing for the two hour staging server time, these changes were effectively in place by 5:00 pm on Friday and will be ready for a test run during spring break.

A quick check this evening shows all three pages reflect the changes made. My dial up connection is having issues with connecting to Meebo (sigh), so I'll have to email my partner in crime and have her check things on Monday morning. Another oddity? Using IE6 this evening our widget is a different color, does not reflect the change in name we instituted, and is basically nasty. Viewing the page with Mozilla there are no problems.

In addition to email, I left two offline Meebo messages. May as well use the technology!

IM ready

Following extensive discussion and philosophical discourse regarding the necessity, use and feasibility of IM/chat services for academic library reference, we are now officially "live" with the library's new Ask Us! IM reference service. The updated help and chat page were sent to the staging server around 11:30 am; when I refreshed my browser at 1:30 pm, all was well. As soon as lunch is over, my partner in crime and I will do a widget test run, followed shortly by an email notification to all librarians complete with login reminders, web addresses, and information regarding basic statistics we would like to collect.

We have a soft marketing and word-of-mouth target strategy planned. Tomorrow, I have permission to add a "new" link to the main library page. It will then be featured on the "What's new" page and link to the existing help section of the library web site. The director also plans to place a blurb in the weekly student email that will highlight the new service. Additionally, next week is spring break. There will be ample opportunity for librarians to play with the technology and become more comfortable with it's use.

This is a major step for our library. Moving several librarians out of their safe areas, dragging them into a bit of library 2.0 technology, has been a challenge. I am crossing my fingers that students will utilize the service and prove it is a viable resource to offer.

Made my morning

I just finished helping a student laminate file folder games (it's that time of the semester) and on her way out she said, "I just wanted to tell you how great the new resource center web site looks. It was so nice to be able to find all the information I needed and help on the site in one easy to manage place. It was great!"

I thanked her (somewhat profusely), she definitely made my morning.

Librarian meeting prep @ Lunch

Creating another post title with "@ lunch" I noticed how many lunch posts there have been lately. Naturally I then added an "at lunch" tag for blog posts and immediately looked through recent posts to apply the tag (10). Regardless, because of my annoyances with blogger from home and my unwillingness to leave the library in nasty weather, I have none the less been spending more of my lunch hour secluded in my office with my computer.

I am getting quite a bit of technology experimentation/playing (chat, calendar, widgets, IM) accomplished while my reading shelf languishes. Earlier in the week it was decision time; renew my shelf of juvenile and YA books (again) or release them back into circulation for others to enjoy. I would like to say I chose the high road and returned them to the collection for the greater good, but the truth will out prompting me to reveal new books are now on the cart downstairs and at least 150 juvenile titles are due to arrive in the next week.

In one hour I will attend a faculty librarian meeting. At this meeting we will be presenting our Meebo chat function and detailing its use to the other librarians. Chat is ready to go; all we need is policy in place regarding operation of the service. Everyone will be interested in seeing the demonstration, knowing it will work, and discussing the different variants in place for customizing the widget. Realizing everyone needs to participate for success, instructing others how the service works from a technology standpoint and agreeing on said policy statements may put a damper on things. As long as the service was in the discussion and experimentation phase all was well. Reality may be a tough sell.

During that same meeting I will be pressing to move forward with the library web site re-design sans template. I had permission to send out an email (ten days ago) discussing how we could move forward and requesting input regarding vocabulary and page layout within the proposed template's editable region. Included within the email message was a link to the site map and gentle reminders that any top level menu vocabulary suggestion and decision would need to flow with existing pages. I did not have the courage to discuss how many pages I think should be eliminated. That proposal is for another day. I am crossing my fingers, trying to stay positive, that serious time and thought was given to the task at hand so we may move forward. If we don't get started soon ...

email giveth ... email taketh away

Last week I sent an email message to the university web master, it included links to the sample pages created for the new library web page. I wanted her input regarding various web issues (508 compliance, W3C, etc.) and overall design elements as they may pertain to the university web site branding (using the correct colors and similar layout). Since her input was invaluable when creating the resource center web site, I looked forward to a response.

This morning the reply arrived; in part it detailed the web committee request that we use the university branding around our designs instead of the design in question. Additionally, an attachment .jpeg presented how combining (almost "mashing") the two designs would appear on the web. I have to wonder if I expected this response when sending the email. In all honesty, I am not sure. However, I felt the news was not altogether unexpected and all-in-all a bit of a blessing in disguise. Utilizing the university stylesheet would make my job simpler; less issue with design elements, less issue with creating new pages, no problem with determining what color to use, and the interesting offer from the I.T. department to assist with changing over existing library pages. Even knowing we were going to literally 'dump' the existing pages, an offer of student help was intriguing.

With a joy in my heart, and the prospect of this new twist in our redesign making the sky a bit bluer and the sun a bit brighter, I forwarded the message to my boss. Less than an hour later I received a response. In part, the email maintained that there were still several departments on campus not conforming to the university shell and at this point, we would probably remain one of them. My boss was out of the office most of today. As of now, I am unsure as to how we will progress at this juncture.

Wednesday is the librarian meeting. Only one of the librarians has forwarded me information for our next library web page discussion. The point may be moot ...

Dithering, packing, & waffling

Perhaps that title should be waffling, dithering, and packing; either way I am not getting much accomplished this evening. How so? I am currently dithering about what I should pack to wear with my lovely new black trousers the second day of the conference. I probably will determine it is necessary to take more than one option (so I have a choice Friday morning). If not, I will spend the day resigned to the fact I look like a lump all the while viciously wishing I had chosen the other top, shirt, blouse, and/or sweater. In the big scheme of things it is not that important, but you never know when the weird vanity gene will surge to the forefront. Because I am dithering about what to take, I have also decided to put off packing for this short, overnight trip, until morning. Then if I change my mind concerning what I have already selected(and ironed) to wear tomorrow it will not be too late to change what goes into the overnight bag.

Some days I am just a bit too neurotic for my own good. Especially considering my mantra about how people look; someone will always look better, someone will always look worse, I am fated to land in the middle. Be that as it may ....

I am waffling, of course, concerning the new library web page design. Up to this point I have been content to know I would be able to duplicate, simplistically speaking, one or two of the more sophisticated looking library web sites. I say up to this point because this afternoon I was leafing back through my notes from the Dreamweaver workshops I took last fall and stopped on the page concerning layers. Yes, layers and how Dreamweaver can easily convert tables to layers, making it a simpler matter to attach style sheets to templates. On my way out of the library at the end of today the last thing I grabbed from my office was the workbook. Sometime this weekend I will take a second, and a third, look at the assignment.

The second bit of waffling is the article due in two weeks. I have yet to put serious pen to paper, rather typing to word processor, beyond the point to transferring the poster session information from it's current web home to Word. This weekend I must craft the abstract and a rough draft of the article. It is imperative I do not flub (great word, flub) this opportunity. Since I have not done a great deal of library research, and shame on me for that statement, chances to be published based upon previous presentations and work are not commonplace. Write, write, write.

Views from my Saturday

Today was my last Saturday for this term (she gleefully announces to all asunder) and I spent a great deal of time catching up on what could be termed busy work, but is more kindly referred to as things I can drag with me to the reference desk. Much of what needed to be done was technology related, blog postings and web page updates for the new library web page design samples, and easy enough to do no matter where I was stationed with my trusty lap top. The other task was collection development, also known as spending money. I gleefully perused October issues of Booklist and School Library Journal for juvenile fiction; picture books, middle readers, and YA selections. While doing so, I had time to reflect on how much time it took to complete these three seemingly simple tasks.

I spent two hours today, if the post times are to be believed it was between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm, adding juvenile and young adult titles to the resource center blog. Final tally of the project numbers thirty-two titles; six different categories of posts including graphic novels, juvenile fiction, young adult fiction, recreational reading, picture books, and special collection juvenile titles; strategic placement of six book covers highlighting several young adult and juvenile titles (Fire from the Rock, Useful Fools, and Freak); and linked each title to the library catalog for easy access to call numbers, availability, and location. I felt the usual sense of satisfaction when complete, but had a fleeting moment of concern when reflecting on how many things I had on my plate to accomplish today. Statscounter and Feedburner numbers are not huge for this particular blog. Was this time well spent? I have to say yes.

Two to three hours every couple of weeks posting titles to the resource center book and information blog is time well spent. It saves me time from sending various email to education faculty concerning titles they expect to be added, but did not specifically request. It saves the same faculty members time from deleting unsolicited messages from their email in-box. It saves me time at the end of the year as I no longer spend days/weeks putting together book lists for the resource center web site. The blog is searchable, faculty and students may look for particular topics and find posts matching their area of interest, and the blog is an archive of titles added to the resource center collection, as well as education, reference, and juvenile titles. Many of the newest "hits" posted lead directly from the resource center "what's new page." Therefore the blog is working well in tandem with the web page. That I enjoy doing the blog is a great side benefit, but not the sole purpose of the project. Guilt assuaged regarding the two hours spent blogging

The initial hour and a half of my day was spent updating and tweaking the samples created on Friday for the new library web page. After our two hour meeting, the boss presented and we discussed the twenty-eight academic library web pages that contained design layouts the faculty librarians liked, it was evident there were similarities in each of the designs. We liked clean, simple pages without drop down boxes and frills. The layouts most desirable were basic tables with clear-cut directions for further library information. Some of our favorites included:

• North Carolina State University Libraries
• Florida State University Libraries
• Oberline College Library
• Carleton College Library
• University of Georgia Libraries
• Fordham University Library

With these things in mind, I developed the aforementioned sample web pages to give us something viable to view. Personally, I am a very visual person. When starting the resource center web page redesign, I grabbed a pen and paper and made rudimentary sketches of how I wanted things to look. My pen and yellow legal pad did not suffice for everyone to view, hence the sample pages. Taking time this morning to look at the three samples on several different computer screens it soon became apparent that I had neglected to create one page with no specific background color. I opened one of the already completed samples, saved it as another document, made a few simple adjustments to the existing layout, and pulled the background. Now, we have four samples to evaluate.

This evening I have taken a look at the samples from my dinosaur computer at home. They load pretty quickly, even with my dial-up modem, but the 800 pixels we determined to try do not fit on the screen, nor do they print on a single page. Since I do not want to bog things down with the idea of the printer friendly page (in my humble opinion, it should be printer friendly to start with), tomorrow I will send out an email and have everyone look at the pages using different computers - or just make the changes and not mention the problem. I'm thinking 750 pixels is a better size; decisions, decisions, decisions. Our next web page re-design meeting will be scheduled for some time next week. The charge this time is for each librarian to pick the ONE page they like best and then find several design elements in any of the pages they thing would be a great addition to our page. Another couple hours out of my day, but this was an assignment, per say, not a choice.

My third, and probably most favorite task this lovely Saturday was collection development. As I have mentioned before, purchasing for the juvenile collection is one of the great perks of my job. Today I could not help but reflect on a post I read on Read Roger earlier in the day. In it there was discussion concerning a Child_Lit list serv discussion thread concerning a class of library students, the very real concern by their instructor concerning hesitancy to promote books with instances of language, sexuality, and drugs in book talks, and the subsequent comments from the post regarding the lack of back bone these students have and ultimate question ... would they buy the books in the first place? I was going to comment on the post, but for the first time lost my nerve (hence a lack of link to the actual post, go there, you can find it easily).

I wonder how much of this stems from the fact that library students, especially school library students, are somewhat bombarded with issues of book banning and challenges while taking classes? It can be overwhelming. Pre-teens, teens, and young adult readers are looking for books that reflect their lives. And, whether you agree with the language and subject matter being presented, librarians owe it to patrons to purchase high quality titles that deal with patron interest. The library collection cannot and should not reflect personal bias of the librarian purchasing. Are these mlis students not cognizant of the issues facing today's teens? Or, are they really serious about having collections not representative of their patrons/students? It is hard to believe a younger student in "library school" would not be more aware of this distinction.

Did my collection choices take longer than normal today? I do not think so. There are plenty of books in my collection (yes, right now it is indeed my collection) that are great titles, but not something I would care to read. Since the juvenile collection is not about what I like to read, but about supporting the curriculum and providing quality resources for the students, the point is moot.

Tomorrow is my last Sunday evening for this term. Naturally, it is a Sunday evening when the Steelers are the NBC night game so I will not see yet another football game. My plans for the day include adjusting those web pages; in fact I have just emailed myself a reminder on that subject (it's sad, but it works) and starting that article I am supposed to submit in less than two weeks.

Tags: Academic library blogs, Collection development blogs

Midterm madness

Today marks the seventh week of classes for the fall term; the unofficial half way point when angst is high amongst most every student regardless of major. In preparation of this momentous occasion, one that comes each and every blessed term, last week every computer in the library and resource center was in use from midweek forward. Not only were they in use, but it was work (not play) observed at each terminal and work station. Midterm exams, midterm papers, midterm presentations, and midterm assignments were - and are - due as the deadline for midterm grades approaches, Wednesday at four o'clock pm. My students had a deadline extension from 6:00 pm to noon tomorrow, at which time they are to have 40% of their assignments completed successfully for the term, key word being successfully. Time will tell if the final mad rush was worth their effort when I go through portfolios tomorrow and prepare to submit midterm grades.

This post could also be titled "What not to do" when starting discussion about library web page redesign. Ever since I finished with the resource center web page, the clock has been ticking regarding opening sessions about the main library web page. Last week, a librarian faculty meeting was the first mention of this project and it's time table. Discussion will ensue from now until the end of this term. I will work on the design at the beginning of winter term and spend the entire spring term creating the new pages. A tentative deadline for completion will allow the new page to debut over summer, providing time for "tweaking" and ridding the page of problems before the new fall term.

Each librarian was charged with finding examples of three or four academic library web pages that contained design elements they found useful and visually appealing. I have already put together a web page for our project housed on the new resource center web site that will keep a record of our discussion, include links to all pages selected for viewing, and contain web design elements that I feel are important each librarian view. It is important to me that everyone understand the nuts and bolts before moving along with the project. The deadline for web page examples was noon today. Unfortunately, only two of the seven other librarians actually took the time to participate in the exercise. I am a bit disappointed and ask the director to send out reminders today. Our meeting time for this week has moved and tomorrow I plan to send out nudging emails to the four librarians in question urging them to add their vision at this particular phase of the design. Every viewpoint is necessary. The longer I look at web page examples, the more they begin to look the same. Having a fresh eye is key to gaining better perspective on where we want to go from here.

The more I compare our old library web page to the new resource center web page, the more I want to have this project completed. While there is nothing wrong with the existing page, there is room for improvement. Quite honestly, even with the new resource center web page there are many, many things I could do better. Wednesday is our next meeting. It's time. I'm going to need a boatload of chocolate.

Tags: Academic library, Library web page, Library web page redesign

Many things, but one

Fresh from a recent trip to Columbus where I am always able to knock off a half hour from the return driving time, there are so many things bouncing around aimlessly in my head this afternoon I am fearful of blathering on about all, or none, of them in my haste to post. However, at the forefront of my cheerful little brain is a simple statement of joy regarding the resource center web page.

Drum roll please....and make note of the cheering girl to the right...

As of yesterday afternoon, at approximately 5:00 pm, the page is FINISHED, POSTED on the university server, and actually LIVE for the world to see. Even better, it works! Previous to writing this post I pulled the page up on my ancient computer (with its 800 X 600 display and abysmal dial up connection) and was able to successfully navigate the entire site.

My personal favorite new part of the web is the "what's new" page as it includes; links to all of the available blogs and accompanying rss feeds so users may subscribe right from the web page, a LibraryThing book cover widget displaying recently reviewed books on the book review blog, a "blidget" of the resource center news and information blog, and the library catalog widget that allows users to search the catalog directly from the page.

Now I am relieved, joyous, slightly smug, and a little bit bemused at the let-down of having the project complete.

Of course, I am already planning on more authors and illustrators to add to the existing list.

Tags: Library web page, Library web site design

Rolling, rolling, rolling

Continuing the down hill path to completion of the resource center web site, I finished fourteen author pages in the last two days in between obsessing over polishing my review. I have successfully updated authors "K" through "L" and hope to finish with the "M's" tomorrow. These authors have joined their illustrious counter-parts with updated library holdings in formation, database references, and internet resources: E.L. Konigsburg, Steven Kroll, Madeleine L'Engle, Julius Lester, C.S. Lewis, Robert Lipsyte, Arnold Lobel, Lois Lowry, Lane Smith, David Macaulay, James Marshall, Bill Martin Jr., Mercer Mayer, and Patricia McKissack.

I should have searched for a countdown clock to track the author page progress, hindsight.

As the project progresses, I am noticing journal article trends. Obviously there is a large chunk of information on children's authors and illustrators available from Horn Book Magazine, Book Links, and Publisher's Weekly. Since these titles are part of the Academic Search Premier database, many of them are part of the journal bibliographies. I am finding relavent entries in a few of the popular magazines, language arts journals, library media center journals, and to some extent newspapers. Compiling the resources, I have begun to see many articles written by people that I recognize, such as Horn Book editor and prominent blogger Roger Sutton and Kent State University professor Caroline Brodie. The same databases are proving to be a bit constrictive when locating articles on older authors and illustrators. It is frustrating to only locate obituaries, and short ones at that.

It has been a while since posting about a book I have finished at lunch. In fact, I did finish one this afternoon but am not compelled to write anything at this point. I am still reading recently purchased titles at lunch, just nothing I am ready to blog about yet. However, the back in the juvenile stacks section of the sidebar reflects recent reads regardless of whether I blog about them ... or not.

Even worse, I have four recreational books by favorite authors waiting to be read!

Tags: No need for tags today.

Hypothetical web update

It was another "terrible, horrible, no good very bad (web) day" ... almost.

I should not complain, though when has that stopped me, because it was a day of definite progress. Part of my goal with this never-ending web site re-design is to streamline the number of currently existing web pages into an easily manageable size. Today I cleaned xhtml and html coding, updated internal and external links, while combining four separate pages on guided reading and leveling book kits into a single page.

Flush with success, I moved on to one of the larger hurdles, combining five years worth of individual Caldecott award web pages. Beginning with the 2002 spring semester and continuing until this term, the instructor is not teaching the course for spring 2007, I hosted mock Caldecott panels in the resource center with a children's literature class. In the beginning (smile), the web page for each panel session included online pathfinders, pdf handouts, catalog links, and accompanying photographs of the process. After determining that this activity was worth keeping and archiving the pages, I deemed it necessary to streamline the older information and combine all of the pages into one. The absolute and all-encompassing coding mess left by my old web editor was nothing short of astronomical. At one point, Dreamweaver's html cleaning option froze on my computer as it tried to clean over 150 empty font tags from a document. It was ridiculous. However, I am now one short step from being finished with this portion of the web site. My goal for this week is to get the design far enough that I can begin transferring a few of the new pages over for a "test" run. It is important to me that the pages be useable regardless of their format, so if I can finish everything save the remaining 50 or so children's author information pages, it's a go.

I had a GA ask me today if the new resource center site was ever going to be done. What a sweet, brave girl.

Tags: Web page design, Library web pages, Dreamweaver novice