Library & Information Services » team charge

LIS site improvements since usability testing

Jess Isler — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:17:47 +0000

Soon after the launch of the new Middlebury web site, the LIS website team conducted usability testing on the LIS parts of the site (see report 1, report 2). Many improvements have been made based on the feedback received during testing. Since part of the Team’s charge for this year included following-up on these recommendations, we thought it best to share some of the highlights. These changes were made with the help of many content managers and website editors; we thank you for your contributions!:

improved Google search has recently been implemented on the whole Middlebury site, which has already made searching for LIS content much easier

a revised structure for the LIS Help & Support web pages

improved directory search results, so search “by department” displays the job titles for all members of the department. For example, the listing for all LIS staff

site banners that currently say “Library and Information Services” will soon display additional text for clearer branding of the different LIS website sections

quick links navigation items are now standardized across all parts of the LIS web presence

better color use in the “leaf” color theme for improved legibility

templates for the LIS blog that align with the Drupal site, with new design options for the LIS wiki in progress

on-page search boxes for pages that include sub-page lists is now labeled “Find on this page:” to distinguish from site-wide search boxes

added links to check ILL requests in My MIDCAT

a simpler format for pages that link to multiple forms for clearer and easier navigation. For example: Collection Management Forms

Remember, there’s also an option for anyone to report issues with a page using the Problems with this Page? button, and you can get in touch with LIS Content Managers by finding them at go/liscm.

What’s next? We’re moving on from following-up on the old recommendations to working on marketing strategies for the site, and soon afterward, another round of testing, likely in the form of a user needs analysis and more usability testing. Feel free to send us feedback any time. Thanks!

Digital Archives Team – charge, priorities, and other introductions

Arabella Holzapfel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:27:26 +0000

In an attempt to ‘catch up’ with the other teams (LIS-blog-wise), we are starting out by posting our first few important documents or decisions. Other posts in the near future will describe what we’ve accomplished so far. Then, sometime in the next couple of weeks, we will be regularly posting updates like the other two teams have been doing.

Our charge:
develop and promulgate digitization standards; to create a process for prioritizing digitization efforts; to create workflows to allow for effective scanning, storage, cataloging, and archiving; to provide access to digital collections through various means.

Our priorities:
* Develop a policy for approving and prioritizing new projects – 12/2009
* Review of existing projects (standards and relevance) – 5/2010
* Work with Collection Management to integrate metadata creation for digital projects into CM workflow – 5/2010
* Investigate best practices for digital preservation actions – 5/2010

And our ‘vision’:

* What you want to accomplish and why

The Digital Archives team will recommend strategies that expand the vision of a digital library and develop policies that best utilize staff expertise to deliver relevant digital resources to the scholarly community.

* “What’s in it for me” for those affected

For collection curators:

* collections will be organized, described, managed and made accessible in alignment with LIS standards and priorities

* established work flows will ensure that projects are prioritized, planned for and completed
* there will be ongoing assessment of collection practices and policies

For scholarly researchers:

o you will have access to valuable materials that have been consistently described

For LIS:

* LIS staff and resources will be used judiciously
* consolidation of material and location of material
* collections will be managed and preserved for the long-term
* you will know why you are working on a particular collection
* projects will typically be completed before moving on
* projects will be seen as belonging to LIS rather than to individuals
* decisions will be based on clearly defined policies and priorities

LIS Web Presence Team – Charge and Deliverables

Elin Waagen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:18:25 +0000

Some clarification on the charge after talking with Jeff this afternoon.

THE CHARGE:
The charge for this team is to design, develop, and maintain the LIS web presence, which serves as a means to provide the entire Middlebury community with information about services and resources, as well as a means to actually deliver those services, and provide access to resources.

THE DELIVERABLES/PRIORITIES
Create brand new LIS Web Presence
Easy to find (things), easy to use, easy to maintain, user centric, more self-service
Involve end-users: develop + test
Beta 11/9
Public Beta Test 12/10/09
Public Launch 01/04/10

Develop LIS staff work flow and content management, protocol procedures – apply to new web presence
Test 10/11/09
In place 12/09

Asses/evaluate new LIS web presence (end-users)
04/2010 + ongoing

Develop “site-refresh” strategies
08/2010

Team Vision Statement

Jess Isler — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:58:10 +0000

To fulfill the LIS vision, “We bring knowledge to you,” we are creating a stronger presence for LIS within the College website. With intuitive navigation and inviting interfaces, and a workflow that allows simple maintenance, we will provide easy access to our resources and services. The community will gain a dynamic website that enables interaction, knowledge sharing, and communication about the great work we do.

Web Team charge on Wordle

Elin Waagen — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:58:42 +0000

Here is the web team charge as seen on Wordle.