Website Wednesday: Cuba Interview

Shauna Comes is awesome and gives really fantastic information in an email response she sent to my Website Wednesday feature request. For her answers in their entirety (that I couldn’t fit in the email), please read below.

Is there anything you would like to share with other libraries who might want to make a website?

I don’t think that libraries necessarily need to have a ton of content on their websites, but I think that it is important to at least share your hours, your contact information, location, and a photo of the library building. It is also helpful for patrons if you have some way that you share upcoming events with them, as well as links to databases, your online catalog, and any online services the library subscribes to for patrons.

How did you choose what to include and what not to include on your website?

Some of those decisions had already been made when I took over managing the website, but I think that for the most part, the library tries to share information about many of the things that patrons might want to know or might be looking for when they go to our website. I try to include all of our upcoming events, and when the website was created, the webmaster at the time made sure that we have ways for patrons to link to the services we offer from the website (databases, the online catalog, freegal, overdrive). We have also chosen to keep an up to date list of the new titles the library has added to the adult, young adult, and juvenile collections. The library has also made monthly newsletters and the annual report available, as well as at least a basic description of the library’s mission, policies, and history. Recently, I added PDF versions of the book recommendation pamphlets that were created from book suggestions made by the former children’s librarian, Linda Poelma, because so many people ask about recommendations for children’s books. At this point we have one for picture books and one for juvenile fiction, and I would like to add one for YA readers and maybe for graphic novels at some point as well. As far as photos of classes and events and such, we try to make people aware of the fact that these pictures will be posted to our website. With special activities like the magnetic poetry event we held for April, I chose to post photos of most of the poetry created by the patrons on our magnetic boards, but we didn’t post poetry that had inappropriate phrasing.

Do you have an opinion on WordPress for editing and keeping up with the content?

I am new to creating and editing websites, and WordPress, for me, has been fairly easy and user-friendly. There have only been a few things so far that I wasn’t sure how  to do, and Al Oliveras was very helpful in giving concise instructions on how to do those things, such as adding a new subpage and having it show up in the menus. The only downside, and something that can be confusing, is that although changes made in the photo albums auto save, you have to remember to click the update button whenever you make changes anything else like to the other pages or to your posts.

Is there one thing you think every library should keep in mind?

Just make sure that the website is as user friendly as possible, and try to have the things that patrons are most likely to be looking for either on the home page or on the website in such a way that it is easy to find them from the home page.

A common pitfall to avoid?

One of the biggest things that I can think of is the pages that are hard to read because the creators have chosen a darker background color and the font is dark as well. It is also better if you can create a site that has multiple pages instead of trying to fit everything onto one page. I think that libraries are finally moving away from the sites that I as a patron found unhelpful; the ones that don’t include the hours or most of the basics that people might go to the website looking for, like information about events the library is planning and links to the catalog and databases that the library offers. I am also surprised at the ones that don’t include a photo of the library somewhere. While that might seem like a small thing, if you are coming from out of town, or are new to the area, that can be very helpful when you are planning a first visit to the building.

How often do you post something or update the website?

I usually add something to the website at least once a week. Certain pages I try to update as soon I know about any changes, such as the new youth titles. I also try to add events to the website as soon as they are scheduled, at least to get them on the calendar. I add posts to the slider on the front page less often. Usually once all of the details about an event are known, I create a draft, and the actual post is added about a month in advance of the event, unless for some reason there is shorter notice, in which case it is added as soon as I know those details. I change the new adult titles once a month, after I publish the newsletter, except for DVDs, which I add as they are put into the collection. Titles are removed from the “new title” lists each month for the adult fiction, and the rest are removed as the “new” designation is removed unless the lists are particularly long. I try to remove event posts from the slider after the events are finished, or the next day. Photos from events and classes I try to add within a week of the class or event. The only other thing that gets changed on a semi-regular basis is the art gallery information under our “About Us” page, which gets updated every couple of months once the exhibit is changed, so that we have a bio of the featured artist and a photo of one of their pieces.

Also, could you share what the value in having a website for your community to access is?

I think that the transparency is important, as far as letting the community know the library’s policies, sharing the annual report, and letting them know who library board members are and when the meetings are. I think it is important to share with the community on a regular basis what is being added to the collection, and what events the library is planning for their entertainment and education. As many ways as there are that you can share information and services with the community and reach your patrons, I think that you should take advantage of them.