Website Kit Manual Revised Jan 2018

Make sure any lists are annotated and link (whenever possible) di- rectly to the site or catalog entry. Don’t just list website links without in- cluding relevant text about why they’re being recommended. If you’re creat- ing lists of books, include a synopsis and a direct link to it in your library’s cata- log. Don’t frustrate your users by providing lists that are essentially useless and have no value. Libraries are often major producers of lists. Reading lists, reference source lists, and many more. However, once a library starts putting lists on the Web, the format needs to change...and, often, the library fails to acknowledge the ad- vantages available by putting a list online. For example: many libraries include lists of recommended links for users. Many times, that’s all those lists are: links. There’s not always a description that explains what the site is or why someone would want to use it. The same issue can often occur with lists of library services . If your library’s site says that your library has a meeting room, then the meeting room policy and any other related information should be linked and immediately apparent. What about reading lists? These can include not only a summary of the book, but a direct link to the book’s listing in your library’s online catalog. The goal is to make getting more information about the thing you’re recommending as easy as possible for the end user. If you force your users to search for more, they probably won’t. They’ll just leave, instead. Remember, the most anyone will read on the front page of your li- brary’s website is 20% —and that includes the name of your library and the navigation! Use the least amount of words possible on the front page. Use teasers to show just the first bit of the text (more on that later). If visi- tors want more information, they’ll click the “Read/Learn more” link. Further reading: How Little Will Users Read?