Notes of Meeting of April 18, 2005
Porter 428
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Present: Christy Branston, Rachel Caldwell (recorder), Helena Calogeridis, Marian Davies, Sandra Keys, Esther Millar, Bill Oldfield, Marina Wan (chair)
Regrets: Linda Hastings
1) Notes from April 18, 2005
Accepted/no revisions
2) Business Arising
Action(s) from previous meeting (Monday, April 18, 2005)
- Item #4/ Subsites - Marina and Esther met with Richard Pinnell regarding the UMD web pages - whether they would be conforming to the changes made to the Library site or be their own entity. Richard agrees that the UMD web site will follow the same changes as the Library site. (It has been noted that many of the images used in the UMD site will be more work when converting to the new design.) The Architecture and Optometry pages may change eventually, but for now they are a part of their respective school sites.
- Christy has posted the Library web survey results and updated them as of this (Monday, April 25) morning.
3) Agenda Review
No revisions
4) Sitemap & Site Index
- Bill tried to put the converted sitemap into a searchable database format, but it was tricky to effectively index terms. It was mentioned that using metadata tags might help with indexing. It was also asked if this indexing process using metadata tags be done by web developers using Contribute. This searchable site index can be worked on after the new home page goes live in June.
- It was noted that we should not have a separate sitemap and site index.
- The sitemap structure will list the items found under the main navigation categories.
- ACTION: Bill (and Esther) will work out an experimental page to show how the combined sitemap and site index will work.
5) Web Pages & Sublinks for Main Navigation
- Esther provided us with two examples of how the home page would look if the TRELLIS quick search was located under the news items or under the banner image in the centre of the page. After some debate it was decided that we should omit the TRELLIS quick search from its central location on the home page and rely on the (left) navigation link for TRELLIS and the top search option (defaulted to TRELLIS). Usability studies could provide feedback for this change.
- Other web pages/ navigation categories discussed include:
- Services For (page example)
- About Us - link/info for Locations (formerly Guide to the Libraries)
- Doing Research - Library Guides (e.g., Doing Library Research) - needs to be more concise. Perhaps the right-side navigation can provide links for more detailed info? CISTI Source, currently under Doing Research, will be grouped with Services.
- E-Resources - Research Databases, E-Journals, E-Reference, and E-Theses pages will be similar/provide an anchored table of contents at top of page. More work is needed for E-Theses. Dan suggested and all agreed we can combine E-Resources and Doing Research and name the category "Resources". Research Databases will be a quick link listed after TRELLIS, but before Resources. There will be 10 items under Resources.
- Help & Instruction - Under "Help & Instruction", "Library Guides" will be changed to "Library Guides Series", and "Research Guides by Subject" will be named "Subject Guides".
- Library Services and Facilities - handout provided by Marina .
- The "yellow" colour at the top of the library web pages and expanded menus was discussed. We need to make sure that the colour used remains uniform and consistent by matching the new home page banner image. The new banner image should refrain from being monochromatic or obnoxious in its use of colour. ACTION: Rachel will pass this information along to Graphics.
6) Usability Issues? Signing off?
- ACTION: Christy and Marian will work on questions to ask users how they will find information on the new site. Site pictures will be used for these questions.
7) Around the Table
No Items
August 11, 2005
