This month’s usable library is: Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI What I like: Recent redesign Responsive Drupal site Clear distinction between website and catalog search Link icon indicate when a user is being taken to an external site (e.g. events calendar)
Continue readingpublic library
Usable Library of the Month – Malden Public Library
This month’s usable library is: Malden Public Library, MA What I like: Recently redesigned site – big improvement over previous site Responsive, mobile-friendly Good use of WordPress Nice integration with social media
Continue readingUsable Library of the Month – Stratford Public Library
This month’s usable library is: Stratford Public Library, Ontario What I like: Accessibility options at the top of every page include “change contrast” and “accessibility feedback” Responsive, mobile-friendly Good layouts, readable fonts, good use of white space “Get started” links on home page
Continue readingUsable Library of the Month – Houston Public Library
This month’s usable library is: Houston Public Library What I like: Newly redesigned! Compare to the previous site (Internet Archive snapshot.) Accessible, mobile, responsive design Breadcrumbs for ease of navigation Main menu labels simplified, jargon removed: “Find it, Learn & Explore, Research, Get Involved.” Events calendar fully integrated into site
Continue readingUsable Library of the Week – Addison Public
This week’s usable library is: Addison Public Library, IL What I like: Attractive, easy-to-read design Responsive and mobile-friendly Jargon-free “Book a Librarian” on the research page “Confused? Book a Tech” on the e-books page, right where you most need it Big “Order items” button is much more understandable than ILL
Continue readingUsable Library of the Week – Westerville Public Library
This week’s usable library is: Westerville Public Library, Ohio What I like: Integrated “Global Search” across site and collections – try searching “Storytime” to see both events and books Suggest-as-you-type feature in search – can easily get to items without viewing full search results Overview page under “Books, Movies, and More” allows users to easily browse…
Continue readingUsable Library of the Week – Hennepin County Public Library
This week’s usable library is: Hennepin County Public Library What I like: Recently redesigned: The previous design had a left menu with somewhat jargon-heavy links like “databases” and “subject guides.” The new site has a modern, fullscreen, fully responsive layout with large, clean fonts, lots of white space, a prominent search box, and less clutter. The…
Continue readingUsable Library of the Week – Sacramento Public Library
This week’s usable library is: Sacramento Public Library What I like: Online Services Login Guide at point-of-need on Research page Connect page features all social media in one place FAQ and “How Do I” on both home page and in navigation; prominent and usable Clutter-free layouts with large, readable fonts and lots of white space…
Continue readingUsable Library of the Week – Garfield County
This week’s usable library is: Garfield County Public Library, CO What I like: Research Databases page questions: “What is a database?” and “Can’t I find this stuff on the Internet?” Books and more page highlights “Ebooks available now” and links to good e-book help pages Kids page is vibrant and fun, with big colorful…
Continue readingUsable Library of the Week: Queens Library
This week’s usable library is: Queens Library, NY What I like: Site and catalog are searchable together from a single search box Book search results display in site, not in catalog silo (using their homegrown ILS) “Entertainment” tab describes all audio/visual formats Amazon-like social features: e.g. “recently borrowed”
Continue reading