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No Coding RequiredBasic Library Website Development

Robbie Bolton, Assistant Library DirectorKaren Parsons, Reference/Information Literacy LibrarianWhite Library, Spring Arbor University, Spring Arbor, MI

Poster Session, Association of Christian Librarians Annual ConferenceJune 13, 2012

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Abstract

For many small to mid-size libraries, having a “web person” or the IT support to create a well-designed and functional library website is a luxury. Using web 2.0 tools, namely Wordpress blogging software, librarians can create a quality library website, with little if any knowledge of programming code. If a librarian can upload posts and photos to Facebook, they can create a Wordpress site – no coding required.

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Why Wordpress?

• Easy to use• Affordable (i.e., free or mostly free)• Pre-designed “themes”• Multiple users can manage content• Ready-made “Plug-ins” can be added to your

site• Knowledge of HTML or another coding

language is not a necessity.

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(1) Add a title to your post

(2) Add your content

(3) Add links or insert photo

(4) Publish your post

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Libraries and Web Design

• Often library websites are guilty of including too much information leading to a cluttered look

• Cluttered design hides quality information

• Less is more. Open space is your friend. Just because you have space doesn’t mean you have to use it.

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Words have Consequences• Design matters, but so does vocabulary• Librarian jargon often doesn’t communicate

effectively with our patrons• Words like: database, catalog, periodical, index,

abstract, have little or no meaning for our users.• Use natural, or plain, language on your library

website. “Find Books” or “Finding the books”• DO: use words “such as Book or Article, that

correspond to the end product the user is seeking”

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Our attempt at employing a simple, clean design using as much “natural language” as we are comfortable with. We really can’t take credit for the design as it is just a Wordpress theme we selected.

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BibliographyGoldberg, Beverly. 2011. “WordPress as a Library CMS.” accessed June 8, 2012, http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/dispatches- field/wordpress-library-cms.

Jones, Kyle M. L., and Polly-Alida Farrington. 2011. Using WordPress as a Library Content Management System. ALA TechSource.

Jones, Kyle M., and Polly-Alida Farrington. 2012. Learning from Libraries That Use Wordpress: Content-management System Best Practices and Case Studies. American Library Association.

Kupersmith, John. 2012. Library Terms That Users Understand. UC Berkeley: UC Berkeley Library, accessed June 8, 2012, http://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qq499w7

Krug, Steve. 2005. Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition. 2nd ed. New Riders Press.

McKay, Dana. 2011. “This is not a test: user-oriented evaluation of the digital academic library.” Paper presented at the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Digital Libraries, Berlin, Germany, September 26-28.

Wordpress & Libraries Facebook group, accessed June 8, 2012,http://www.facebook.com/groups/214139591937761/

“WordPress.com.” WordPress. http://wordpress.com/.

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Questions/Contact Info

Robbie BoltonAssistant Library DirectorWhite LibrarySpring Arbor Universityrobbie@arbor.edu517 750 6434twitter: @robbiebolton

Karen ParsonsReference/Information Literacy LibrarianWhite LibrarySpring Arbor Universitykparsons@arbor.edu517 750 6436