1. Laura Solomon @laurasolomon laura@designforthelittleguy.com
25 PROBLEMS
ON LIBRARY WEBSITES
(AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
#libsite25
Please save questions until the end!
Laura Solomon @laurasolomon

3. Humor, you haz it?

4. ANECDOTES

6. Laura’s Incredibly Subjective Complexity Scale*
*NOT PROPORTIONAL OY
Get a pro
MEH
Might need some
HTML/CSS knowledge
EASY
No big deal

7. Agenda Missing but not forgotten Everybody else got the memo
Search headaches
A major league you don’t want to be in
#libsite25

8. Laura Solomon @laurasolomon laura@designforthelittleguy.com
MISSING
BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
#libsite25
Laura Solomon @laurasolomon

9. #25
Board of Trustees?

11. EASY
Add board member names to your library’s website. Contact info and/or photos are nice but optional.

12. #24
No phone and/or address on homepage

13. MEH
Add the address and main phone number to the homepage, either in the header or footer. You may need some basic HTML/CSS to shift things around to fit these elements.

14. #23
No hours or hours link on homepage

15. MEH
Add the hours, either in full or as a conspicuous link. You may need some basic HTML/CSS to shift things around to fit this element.

16. #22
No custom favicon

18. MEH
Create a custom favicon. You may need some basic HTML/CSS to add the metatag for this element. You may need basic graphic design skills to create the image.

19. #21
No breadcrumb trails

21. OY
If you’re not using a content management system with this feature built in, you’re going to need a professional. To create breadcrumb trails dynamically, you’ll need someone to write some serious code.

22. Laura Solomon @laurasolomon laura@designforthelittleguy.com
EVERYBODY ELSE
GOT THE MEMO
#libsite25
Laura Solomon @laurasolomon

23. #20
Using images as text

24. MEH
Replace images of text with actual text. You may need some basic HTML/CSS to insert, position and style the text.

25. #19
Logos that don’t link to home

26. MEH
Make your library’s logo a link to the homepage. You may need some basic HTML to add a link to your library’s logo.

27. WARNING THE FOLLOWING MAY BE DISTURBING FOR SOME AUDIENCES.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

28. #18
Logos, logos everywhere

29. MEH
Do you really need ALL of those logos? Evaluate carefully. You may need some basic HTML to remove these and/or add some descriptive annotations.

30. #17
Clip art

31. EASY
Stop using clip art. Even stock photography is a step up. But evaluate whether or not an added graphic really adds value, or just is a cutsey-add-on.

32. #16
Problematic navigation

33. EASY
Change the wording to intuitive terms. People are task-driven on the web. See the webinar handout for more info on better terms to use.

34. #15
Rotating banners (carousels)

35. MEH
Look, I know you won’t get rid of it, no matter what the data says. At least make sure that the images have alternative text attributes and that the carousel doesn’t auto-rotate.

36. #14
Fonts under 16 px

37. MEH
Make all text at least 16 pixels. You may need some basic CSS to change font sizes.

38. #13
Huge flyer images

39. EASY
Just stop doing this! You’re slowing your library’s site down, making it more inaccessible to handicapped users and costing people more money on mobile.

40. #12
Staff-only links

41. EASY
Get rid of the staff login link. Buy a simple domain for your library’s intranet, have staff bookmark it, whatever it takes. Get it off the site.

42. #11
Unnecessary widgets

43. MEH
Remove widgets that don’t provide real value to your patrons. You may need some basic HTML to remove these kinds of items.

44. Laura Solomon @laurasolomon laura@designforthelittleguy.com
SEARCH
HEADACHES
#libsite25
Laura Solomon @laurasolomon

45. #10
No search at all

46. #9
No search options

48. #8
More than one search

49. #7
Placeholder text

50. #6
Search in the wrong place

51. OY
Chances are good that your library’s search feature has more than one of these issues. Most of these will likely require more major HTML/CSS modifications and/or back-end scripting.

52. #5
Redundant links

53. #4
Poor contrast

54. MEH
Change the color of text and links and check with a contrast tool. You may need some basic CSS to change colors of text/link elements.

55. Laura Solomon @laurasolomon laura@designforthelittleguy.com
MAJOR LEAGUE
PROBLEMS
#libsite25
Laura Solomon @laurasolomon

56. #3
Poor speed

58. OY
There are so many different things that can cause a slow site. Server configuration, scripts and script placement, images and so many more. Get a pro.

59. #2
Poor accessibility

60. OY
Interpreting and correcting accessibility issues can be a major undertaking. Remember, Section 508 compliance is the bare minimum needed. Get a pro.

61. #1
Not responsive

63. OY
This may likely require completely rebuilding your website…but it will be worth it! Consider using a CMS that has responsiveness built in, or contact a professional.

64. We know…

65. Laura Solomon @laurasolomon laura@designforthelittleguy.com
QUESTIONS?
Laura Solomon @laurasolomon