Mary Mehsikomer Region 1 (218) Marketing The Media Center: How Does Your Web Site Stack Up?

A few basic questions to ask… Who is the audience or customer(s)? What do they need to know? If you had only two clicks what would you want them to see? What can you provide that helps them help themselves? What can you provide of value to each customer group? Where are you? How can people reach you? When are you open? What’s the point of the website?

KISS – Keep it simple and straightforward…. The harder it is to use the less it will be used Make sure to keep links current Quality of content is priority Get rid of the question marks (Steve Krug, “Don’t Make Me Think”) Put yourself in the users’ shoes Web users don’t read--they scan Copy from others If it makes sense logically it will make sense visually Test it Create good will

Organization Location, phone, , other contact information By interest Students Grade Level Teachers Grade Level and/or Subject Parents Administrators Or by Topic or….

Navigation Bread crumbs or tracks so they can retrace steps Site map Persistence Sense of direction Visible Use wisely depending on page function Tabs Home page is key

Services – at a minimum Access to MnKNOWS resources Destiny Catalog Curriculum Resources Administrator Resources What else?

Where is the Media Program?

Where is… or are… The contact information for the school library media specialist? The hours the media center is available to students, teachers, and the rest of the school community? Other services the media specialist and the media program provide? ELM resources? Library catalog? ?????

Whew, that’s better…

Missed Opportunities Direct link from main school page Program mission statement Staff contact Phone number Information on media center activities Book groups Award winning books Computer lab availability Curriculum resources for teaching staff

Try this yourself Google a school district not your own Go there and choose a school From the school web page can you find the media center? Can you even find the link to the catalog? How long did it take you? Is there any information there besides links to data bases or the catalog? Did you see anything you could use? What would you do differently?

Use Your Destiny Home Page

And make sure to Link from a page where people can find it Keep your links current Update resources Use your site to ensure your media center is a visible service, not the best kept secret in the school Use your site to show how vibrant your program really is and not just a link farm