IT Territory has been Marked…

Behind Closed Doors

Character in the Classroom

Teaching Library-Web

Much of the resources Library offers are Internet accessible which means that when we teach, we need to demonstrate using our Candy Land web site. And it is really hard!

I want to show the students and their professors how easy it is for them to find what they need on our site. I want to show them that the text labels are obvious and that we anticipate what the students will be looking for – everything is super easy and time saving and thoughtful. BUT IT IS NOT!!!!

I’ll have to settle for handing out a paper resource to lead them through their information searching process.

Are we in Candy Land?

I am not a artist by any stretch of the imagination but I do know what looks good on the Internet and our website does not look good. The pastel colors remind one of Candy Land and don’t get me started on the other issues, such as: the lack of real images (some people please), the long lists on almost every page, the lack of meaning – emphasis or hierarchy – to the content, the unending clicking.

All of the other librarians that I have spoken with agree but it is better than it was and be sure NOT to criticize it in front of Bully-boy. It is his “bread and butter”; it sustains him and gives him something to keep talking about and pointing to as something of value, even if his student workers did most of the work.

Okay, work was done but do we stop there? Does that mean that we no longer improve what we offer so as not to offend the ego of one person? Wouldn’t that be ignoring our purpose in providing the best information resources we can for our students and faculty members?

Move on, embrace progress, let go…

Unless maybe you fear you have nothing else to offer?