Website design

Eastern Regional Library 

I have come across Eastern regional library network as part of research for another course and this web page makes we wish I was a member! I belong to the City of Sydney library and their web page is less than inspiring. The list of criteria that I have devised are not that dissimilar to those of Mathews (2009) but also incorporate some of the points raised by Lazaris (2009)  and Schrier (2011) and the ERL page ticks just about every box.

1. Segmention –  ERL has a different page for kids, teens and seniors. Each page takes a different tone. Mathews (2009) recommends this approach. The children's page follows many of the points raised by Lazaris (2009) – stimulating, bright colours, uses natural elements on the main page. Criticism is that it falls away after the first page. On the kids page there are largely links so it could be a little more directly interactive. The teen page on the other hand manages to keep the interest on every page with changing images and different sections.
2. Interactivity/participation – the front page has links to the different social media pages – Facebook, Ttwitter, flickr and the blog. Members are encouraged to rate books, review and add comments. While not eye catching, the children's page has links to games for children to play.
3. Currency/up to date  - the latest tweets are on the front page, there is a rotating banner, a calendar of latest events, the facebook page has multiple posts and is current. This all gives a sense of current and vibrant information. It is not seen as stale and out of date. The rotating reader reviews and comments on the teen page also give you a sense of currency.
4. Use of social media  - Flikr, Facebook, Twitter, Listal and the blog are prominent on the main library page. People are encouraged to 'like', tweet, share and create RSS feeds on updates. There is good use of social media on the main page and the teen page with links to the social media on all pages but the kids page.
5. Use of technology – They have developed a phone app which you can download and use to search the catalogue, place holds and renew books. They also provide information and links to downloading apps to support the e-book collection.
6. Community – ERL does a lot to support the development of community. Schrier (2011) talks about participating in the broader community – spending time in conversations that don’t have a direct link to your service. ERL does this very well. It shares information and ideas that are not directly related to their services but which build a sense of community eg. Posting a photo on facebook of a beautiful birthday cake of one of their staff, stories from staff about why they love their community, community events, tips on interesting blogs, humerous quotes and images. This builds a connection with the community.
7. Co-creation – as mentioned previously readers are encouraged to write reviews on the different pages. There is also a blog where members are asked to submit their stories about what they love about their library.
8. Communication – There are the social media accounts as well as the Ask a librarian spot which is prominent on the page.
9. Searchability – there are search options on the page, but these would be the weakest feature of the page. I knew there was a leading story on the blog about social media but when I searched on that term in it did not return that page. The catalogue search is good, however.
10. Eyecatching – the website tends to use the grid approach and is a little dull on the main page. The teen page however is eye catching as is the kids page. The seniors page is mainly text based. The blogs  are more eye-catching with good use of colour and images.

Overall the ERL page follows these 10 criteria very well. The weakest areas are seachability and the layout of the kids pages and the seniors page. There is good use of technology and use of social media, and linking the together. The platform that ERL has created makes you want to join and take part in the community they are a part of.

Lazaris, L. (2009). Designing websites for kids: Trends and best practices, Smashing Magazine, (27 November). Retrieved from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/11/27/designing-websites-for-kids-trends-and-best-practices/

Mathews, B. (2009). Web design matters: Ten essentials for any library site. Library Journal, (15 February). Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6634712.html?industryid=47126

Schrier, R.A. (2011). Digital librarianship & social media: The digital library as conversation facilitator, D-Lib Magazine, 17(7/8) July/August 2011. Retrieved from http://dlib.org/dlib/july11/schrier/07schrier.html