Library redesign aims to put users first
These days, the role of the university library extends far beyond the confines of study carrels and bookshelf-lined walls as online tools become increasingly important within the academic realm. McLaughlin Library is currently undergoing a complete website redesign, with the goal of providing students, staff, and faculty with a site that’s built with their needs in mind.
“Our existing library website was designed more around our internal structure than it was designed around what users come to our site looking for; in order to access a service offered by the Library and [the] Learning Commons, you first had to know which of our teams or departments delivered that service,” Randy Oldham, Manager of the Library Web Team and Web Development Librarian, explained via email. “Since a large part of what we do is helping students and faculty, we wanted to make our website easier for these groups to use.”
The team working on the project will also aim to make the website compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), “so that all users have equitable access to the information and services available on our website,” Oldham said.
After the redesign, the website will be organized with a more streamlined navigation, and will contain fewer pages overall. The site currently has over 70,000 pages, and reducing that sprawl will ensure that users can navigate the site with greater ease.
The website redesign process began in January 2013, and the progress has been charted on a public blog, allowing users to stay updated and follow along with the changes being proposed.
Throughout the redesign process, the library has encouraged users to provide input on their own experiences. “We have done a lot to engage with our community,” Oldham explained, including running an open-ended survey, engaging in one-on-one interviews, and timing how long it takes volunteer users to conduct specific key tasks.
The design team has also utilized “personas” to imagine what their users want. In the fields of user research and web design, a persona is a fictional character that embodies specific key characteristics of target user groups. Creating fictional personas, and imagining these character’s goals and personalities, is a creative way to consider potential users and their needs in more nuanced ways.
The “soft launch” of the new website will be occurring this week. Visiting www.lib.uoguelph.ca will take you to the existing library website, but it will include a link on the homepage inviting visitors to check out the new website.
The final version of the website is set to replace the existing website completely at the end of April 2014.
Oldham expressed gratitude to “those who have provided feedback and who have participated in our many opportunities for feedback over the past year,” and encouraged people to keep an eye on the library homepage for the more information on the beta launch. Oldham also welcomed any additional feedback.