Reaching Staff, Enthusing Readers

Reader Centred Websites

Sarah Field

Information Services Coordinator, City Library

A potted history …

Sept 2001 University of Sheffield MA in Librarianship

Nottingham City Council - the 9th largest UK city; its customers are the local population of 640,000

Dec 2001 – Mar 2003 Community Librarian (Peoples’ Network)

March 2003 – Jan 2004 Project Officer Library Management System (Unicorn - Sirsi)

May 2004 – present; Information Services Coordinator City Library

The reader centred website

What makes a reader centred website?

Interactive

with a purpose

THE READER

Promotes the Sizzle

rather than the

Sausage!

Combines the

virtual presence

with the physical

presence

Interesting

Entertaining

Experience

What are you up to tonight? (2003)

The concepts

Target audience of 16-25

Young librarians create the content – best marketing tool!

Ran focus groups throughout process

Senior management commitment for ongoing staff time

The concepts

Design, coding and hosting was done by Opening the Book

Played on the idea we weren’t always out partying!

Needed credibility

Intuitive

Terminology was crucial (can't be ar**d with Big Brother?)

Blind date with a book

Or in Aussie terms “The Perfect Match”

Bringing it all together

OPACs are: One dimensional Sterile environments Full of jargon

Is it reader centric?

The future is coming …

The future

Web 2.0 Numerous tools which will help:

reader advisory make your catalogue more interactive a one-stop shop for all reader needs

The key is usability rather than just technology.

Aquabrowser – Queens Library http://aqua.queenslibrary.org/

Any Questions?