As a first year media specialist, I'm afraid to admit that the web page has taken a backseat to the day to day operation of the media center. In our county, the tech specialist is responsible for maintaining the website. Also, this year, the county sent out a template for all media centers and schools, for that matter, to use. Of course, some things like backgrounds and clip art can be changed according to the school, but the basic design and layout is exactly the same. Therefore, my media center page looks almost exactly like everyone else's. For now, when I have information to add or delete from the web page, I simply email the tech specialist and she handles it. Currently, I have contact information for myself and the clerk, hours of operation, library news, new titles, policies and procedures, and a calendar of events. I think that the information that I have included on my web page is important to the patrons who would look at it. Of course, I could always add more, but for now, I'm doing good to have anything.
One thing that is most important in regards to whether or not I like a site is its usability. If a site is too difficult to maneuver, then I will likely not bother with it. Another issue that causes me not to enjoy a site is if it does not contain pertinent information.
I really like the idea of using wikis as a web page, but I know that I am not comfortable enough with wikis to use them right now. Also, as I mentioned before, we are using a template throughout our county and cannot stray from it.
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Hi Julie -
I am not there yet, but imagined my first year as a media specialist would be somewhat overwhelming. That said, I can certainly see how the web page might slide backward relative to all other critical needs of ramping up and personalizing your very own library media program.
I must say that I do embrace the idea of having a district wide template that captures a universal look and feel for global audiences. Further, having a tech support person who makes upgrades and changes to the webpage ensures accuracy as well as expedience.
When I was in Corporate America, I too was responsible for webpage content. I often found it refreshing to carefully think through content, make decisions regarding the content and charge "techies" with the tasks of "making it happen". Conversely, I believe there is a great deal of merit in knowing how to do something yourself.
Finally, regardless of who analyzes and modifies webpage content, functionality is key. I commpletely concur that sites too difficult to maneuver are a detriment to not only a program's success, but also speaks volumes about the content and design managers.
I think that I like the idea of the county template because it makes searching through each media center's web page a lot easier. You do mention that you can not deviate from the template which is something I would not enjoy. Even if you did want to blog or do a wiki you would have to do this outside of the main web page through a link or something similar. Just wondering, what are the other duties of the tech specialists that updates your webpage? Maybe to personalize your webpage you could try to embed a slideshow with student pics, projects, etc. Look at the other media center web pages in your area to see what they are doing differently and other ways to make your page stand out.
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