Sticky Factor

Today's post comes at the end of the start of the work week - one in which the weather here is mild and teases us that spring is not too far away while our friends and family who may live on the East Coast are probably muttering some not so nice words to Mother Nature!

I was perusing Hennepin's website today for a couple of reasons - website related reasons that I won't bore you with....but lo and behold .....I got sidetracked from my research into looking at the lists, reading the recommendations and before you could say "boo" I had placed at least six books on hold! What happened? I wasn't looking for books to read (see sentence 1 of this paragraph) but the covers and the descriptions were so engaging I could not help myself. Thinking about this provides the title of today's blog - Hennepin's site was sticky - I was an engaged browser who placed titles on hold based on recommendations.

Are there other websites which have a high sticky factor? Sites where you stay on pages to read them, engage with them, print or send onto others? What makes these sites sticky? One of my favorite recipe sites fits this description because it not only provide recipes but also star ratings and comments from intrepid bakers and cooks who have modified or substituted. I use this site regularly and trust the recipes' ratings. On the other hand, another recipe website I was cruising through last night provided the opposite experience. Trying to print the recipe was frustrating, saving the recipe and pulling it up later did not work. It asked me to set up an account without really explaining the benefit of doing so. Let me know what websites you consider sticky and why!

Don't Worry, Be Happy

A recent article came my way and got me thinking - called The Library Web Site of the Future, the author (Steven J. Bell) talks about how academic library websites can be more relevant to its audience. Bell observes "a significant disconnect when it comes to faculty use of the library's website as a gateway, or portal, to access that wealth of electronic content."

Can I dismiss this as "oh, poor academic libraries having a hard time"? Or it doesn't pertain to me because I'm a public library? Well, I took it to heart and thought about the same thing. What does one visit a library website for? If you look at the search terms entered on the ALD site, many of you are seeking the latest authors and titles in books and in movies ~ and for all ages, too! Based on this evidence, we are carefully reviewing the content on the current website that doesn't relate much to our materials.

On the other hand, we ~ too ~ provide electronic content! Databases, downloadable titles, online electronic titles that even read the book (yes, you are missing something if you haven't yet experienced a Tumblebook!). Are you finding this content elsewhere? Is it more convenient to access besides visiting our website? This blogger feels like adults are finding electronic content in other ways, means and places but that we should continue to provide this information to the students we serve. They are being taught what databases are and how to use them in their schools and are advised on finding materials which come from credentialed sources.

So, my takeaway? Don't worry, be happy - a new website is coming soon!

Miscellany

I'm late, I'm late! A holiday on Monday can just throw off your whole schedule ~ including blogging weekly. Sorry for the delay. An update to website work:

• finalizing search results pages


• inputting forms ~ this is great stuff for us on the back end, believe me!


• more training on inputting content on the back end


• continued "construction" of the back end database to meet our needs

Besides website work, I thought I'd follow up with sweetsearch.com and its search engine. I used it the other day when staffing the AskColorado virtual reference "desk." Not finding what I wanted out of my Google results, I thought of sweetsearch and switched. I was impressed with their results and liked the hits returned. Some were the same as what Google found; others were more on target and directed. Now I wish I could remember a specific example to share but one does not come to mind. Suffice it to say that I will be returning to sweetsearch when I need more directed answers to questions. Google will continue to be good for a more general search. They say it takes doing something seven times before it becomes a habit ~ let's see if I can remember to use another search engine the next time I need extra help! What are your favorite search engines? Why?

A Sense of Accomplishment

Today was spent at our soon to be opened May Library! I shelved some fiction titles, some children's movies and music and ended up alphabetizing the Jazz and Latin music collections. Whew! Do my muscles feel it - the bending and lifting, the fingers moving to and fro, the brain constantly trying to remember the alphabet! I left with some muscle relief medication and also a huge sense of accomplishment - the term about some village to create something big certainly applies here.

Conversely, the website does not provide this same sense of physicial-ness but the hope is the same in that you will want to browse the collection and check items out that are of interest to you.

The countdown to the opening of the May Library is 13 days ~ the website more like 2nd quarter. Stay tuned and thx for your continued patience!

Celebrating groundhogs and new search engines!

Who said this blog had to be constructive all the time? Today's post comes flying from the fingers with what's at the tip of my fingertips. It is Groundhog Day and we'll just have to see if this burrowing creature wishes us spring or more winter.

In the meantime, to completely mash two different topics together, i thought i'd blog about a new search engine called Sweet Search. Created by professionals to give you what's relevant, they're calling themselves a more selective search engine. I'm going to try running various searches on it to see how this tests out against my habit of Googling - let me know what you think!

Lastly, to try to stay relevant to blogging about website updates, here are some of the things being worked on:

• creating forms
• deciding content on the Business & Research page
• functioning of the Staff Picks when you click on "From: name"

The Wheels Keep Spinning

Is this blog starting to sound like it's in a rut or is it just the writer? There's plenty going on - my wheels are definitely in a fast rpm but to report out the minutia would make your eyes glaze over. Suffice it to say that there are more pages being finalized with what goes where - the topic last week was on the Search Results page and what presents both in words {like how you might want to further limit your search} and in graphics {how you want to see your results presented}.

In the meantime, I was checking out other library websites (yes, this is what i do for fun!).... and found two which are doing nifty things. One, in our own backyard, is the Denver Public Library. They have "preview new catalog" on their homepage - check it out and blog your comments here! Do you like bookmarking pages? Tagging? Cool things you can do here now.

The other library is London Public - click on their "catalogue" and try a search on knitting to see the results - do you like it?

I'm off to conquer my website envy now - looking forward to your observations!

The Weekly Update

This week's update feels so......minor....in the larger picture of the Presidential Inauguration that just happened this morning. With technology being so convenient I was able to Tivo (yes, it is a recognized verb!) the event so that I can watch it tonight.

In the meantime, work on the website must go on - inauguration or not. We have been very happy to get our hands into the back end of the database which will run the website. To start to have "navigational controls" means we're steps closer than we were before! Not how items look on the page but how long they live there, the convenience of taking them down on some calendar basis and of easily inputting content regularly which is relevant and eye catching - these are the concerns that occupy our time now.

My question of the week begs the question ~ did you watch the inauguration? For any reasons in particular ~ the President's inaugural address, the crowds, the general sense of watching history take place? Log your input here!