Whether we are comparing features of a car, or reading restaurant reviews, or doing research for an academic project, we all turn to online sources of information more and more often. The abundance of online sources for academic research, such as article databases, has transformed library websites into virtual portals to everything the library has to offer. Thus, it is more important than ever for our library website to be intuitive and efficient in leading scholars and students to the sources they need. To that end, OU Libraries have embarked on a website redesign project that is expected to be completed by the end Summer 2013. We plan on unveiling a new and even more user-friendly library website for the start of the Fall 2013 semester.
The main goals of the website redesign project are to:
Create a user-centered website that will offer an intuitive and task-oriented experience to the OU community;
Develop flexible information architecture that will allow users to reach the best sources for their research in multiple ways;
Create a process and structure for the development of new web content that will allow for continual updates of our online presence.
In the Fall 2012 semester, the Online User Interfaces Team has been continually working on the redesign. We have interviewed students and surveyed colleagues to better understand what improvements will be most valuable to all. Thanks to funding provided by the Dean of the OU Libraries, Adriene Lim, we have also been working with a professional graphic designer to ensure that the new look for the library website will support our goals. Everyone is welcome to read more about our activities so far and to participate by commenting at http://oulibraries.wordpress.com.
In the Winter 2013 semester, the OU community will join the process as well by having a chance to test and comment directly on prototypes of the new library website. We believe that active participation by the wider OU community will help us make the library website even more user-centered and easy to navigate.
An overview of the Libraries' ongoing website redesign project.
Created by Alexandra Bosch (ambosch@oakland.edu) on Thursday, January 17, 2013 Modified by Frank Lepkowski (lepkowsk@oakland.edu) on Tuesday, January 22, 2013 Article Start Date: Thursday, January 17, 2013
