Web Site Design with the Patron in Mind: A Step‐by‐step Guide for Libraries

Citation

Cronau, D. (2004), "Web Site Design with the Patron in Mind: A Step‐by‐step Guide for Libraries", The Electronic Library, Vol. 22 No. 5, pp. 448-449. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470410561992

This step‐by‐step guide continues the excellent, hands‐on publications of the ALA. This design and redesign instructional guide and bibliography is very usable. It seems to be aimed at those of us who aren't Web design specialists or technically advanced who want to create a user‐friendly site.

The guide will help you tailor the process to meet the needs of a particular audience, collect the right data to do the job, develop site goals, mission, and vision, determine how much planning or redesign a site requires, and finally to follow through with an organized, prepared approach

It focuses on users’ behaviour, needs, and habits, and encourages the librarian to examine sites from a patrons’ perspective. It is systematic and provides all the tools needed for all librarians regardless of library size or type.

Contents:

1. 1.

   Another book on Web design.

2. 2.

   Redesigning for users – the basics of usability and user‐centered design.

3. 3.

   Redesigning – an overview.

4. 4.

   The vision thing – goals for your Web site.

5. 5.

   Patrons – who they are.

6. 6.

   Tasks – understanding what patrons want to do.

7. 7.

   Library objects.

8. 8.

   Design or redesign?

9. 9.

   The process or redesigning.

10. 10.

    Evaluating and testing.

A glossary, bibliography and index are included along with ample illustrations and examples. While the book at first appears a little cluttered it is an easy read, well paced, informative, and useful. This is a good one for library students and experienced professionals and it gets straight to the heart of the topic and isn't overly academic or technical.