Writing for Your Library Website
- 1. Writing for Your Library Website tips for improving your content 03-21-2019
- 2. Hello! I am Rebecca Blakiston I am here because I love writing for the web. 2 @blakistonr rebeccablakiston.info
- 3. why I care usability content is the heart of any website and critical for usability inclusivity useful, understandable content is more accessible to everyone engagement libraries provide great things and people should know about it 3
- 4. user-centered content knowing your readers 1
- 5. people are goal-driven they want to get questions answered and complete tasks 5
- 6. who is your primary audience? ★ students ★ faculty ★ employees ★ researchers ★ visitors ★ librarians 6
- 7. what do you know about them? ➔ experience with library systems ➔ technology they use ➔ other websites they use ➔ motivations ➔ challenges ➔ any other context 7
- 8. why are they here? 8 primary questions ➔ what do they want to know? primary tasks ➔ what do they want to do?
- 9. meet the navigator “The library provides me with a space to meet and study, computers to use, printers to print things, and a place to work quietly." 9
- 10. meet the learner "I use library resources to find study material that helps prepare me for upcoming tests and projects." 10
- 11. primary questions ➔ what hours are the library open? ➔ what technology can I borrow? ➔ are study rooms available? Nate the navigator 11 primary tasks ➔ reserve a study room ➔ place a book on hold ➔ request technology
- 12. primary questions ➔ how do I know if this article is peer-reviewed? ➔ how do I cite this source? Linda the learner 12 primary tasks ➔ complete a tutorial ➔ find a scholarly article ➔ cite sources
- 13. just-enough content focus, simplify, layer 2
- 14. people skim they depend on headings and hunt for links 14
- 15. people are impatient they’ll lose confidence quickly 15
- 16. “ The first 10 seconds of the page visit are critical for users’ decision to stay or leave. Jakob Nielsen Nielsen Norman Group 16
- 18. If you prioritize everything, you have prioritized nothing. 18
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- 21. layer to hide less relevant content Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries 21
- 22. keep it simple basic structure and only what’s necessary 22
- 23. book recommendation 23 Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works (2nd ed. 2012) by Ginny Redish
- 24. “ Plain language is part of user- centered design. 24 Ginny Redish linguist, author, & consultant
- 25. book recommendation 25 Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content (2014) by Ann Handley
- 26. 3 sentences or less per paragraph 25 words or less per sentence 6 lines or less per paragraph 26
- 27. 27 1 1 2 2 3 up to 3 sentences per paragraph
- 28. 28 1 1 2 2 2 up to 6 lines per paragraph
- 29. 29 2 2 3 3 5 up to 6 lines per paragraph
- 30. 30 23 13 10,16 8,19 21,14, 12 up to 25 words per sentence
- 31. tighten things up original revised a minimum of at least to ensure for in spite of the fact that though 31
- 32. remove unnecessary words 32 ➔ Please note… ➔ It should be noted that… ➔ It is interesting to note that… ➔ We should point out that… ➔ You will find that...
- 33. remove unnecessary words 33 ➔ Please note… ➔ It should be noted that… ➔ It is interesting to note that… ➔ We should point out that… ➔ You will find that...
- 34. avoid long noun phrases original revised data management consultation request form request a data management consultation English curriculum development assistance assistance in developing English curriculum 34
- 35. Fragments? Cool. 35 University of Houston Libraries
- 36. remove unnecessary instructions 36 ➔ Fill out the survey below. ➔ Use the following steps to complete the process. ➔ Be sure to read these instructions carefully.
- 37. remove unnecessary instructions 37 ➔ Fill out the survey below ➔ Use the following steps to complete the process ➔ Be sure to read these instructions carefully
- 38. book recommendation 38 Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web (and Mobile) Usability (3rd ed. 2014) by Steve Krug
- 39. “ Your objective should always be to eliminate instructions entirely by making everything self- explanatory, or as close to it as possible. 39 Steve Krug, author of Don’t Make Me Think
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- 42. crystal clear content free of jargon and ambiguity 3
- 43. write as a conversation the library is “we,” the user is “you” 43 we, us, our you, your
- 45. write like you talk 45 Sonoma State University Library
- 46. avoid library jargon original revised circulation borrowing periodicals magazines, journals stacks bookshelves 46
- 47. …or explain it 47 University of Montana Library
- 48. avoid vague terms 48 essentially this entire thing is a resource, so how are “resources” different?
- 49. use active, direct voice original revised Eligibility will be verified. We’ll verify your eligibility. Patrons must sign in to renew books. Sign in to renew your books. The consultation request form may be used. Request a consultation. 49
- 50. use strong verbs original revised came upon discovered get new furniture purchase new furniture we are in support of we support 50
- 51. use strong nouns original revised the collective thinking across campus is that... students and faculty think... the recommendations from the committee are to... the committee recommends... 51
- 52. avoid complex sentence structure 52 “The library administration wants your help in identifying actionable steps that faculty researchers can take to accelerate the transition to and build capacity for more open, inclusive, and equitable systems of scholarship, service, and community outreach.”
- 53. avoid complex sentence structure 53 “The library administration wants your help in identifying actionable steps that faculty researchers can take to accelerate the transition to and build capacity for more open, inclusive, and equitable systems of scholarship, service, and community outreach.”
- 54. avoid complex sentence structure 54 Help us build more open, inclusive, and equitable systems of scholarship.
- 55. make navigation obvious 55 where am I? where can I go next? what are other options?
- 56. 56
- 57. use meaningful link labels original revised The newsletter is now available. The newsletter is now available. Mentor applicants, use this form. Apply to be a mentor. If you can’t find the book, click here to go to interlibrary loan. If you can’t find the book, use interlibrary loan. 57
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- 59. structured content organized, logical, skimmable, point-of-need 4
- 60. have a plan define your audience, key messages, and calls to action upfront 60
- 61. 61
- 62. use headings to facilitate skimming 62 University of Michigan Library
- 63. use tables for if, then content* 63 Grand Valley State University Libraries*never use tables for layout
- 64. Place your screenshot here 64 use parallel grammatical structure North Carolina State University Libraries
- 65. 65
- 66. use bullets for lists of related items 66 Cal Poly Robert E. Kennedy Library
- 67. use numbers for steps in a process 67 Duke University Libraries
- 68. readable content intuitive and easy on the eyes 5
- 69. make links look like links 69 Harvard Library
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- 72. 72 never underline people assume underlined words are links
- 73. 73 avoid justification it leads to inconsistent spacing and makes things harder to read
- 74. 74 avoid ALL CAPS they are harder to read and can sound like you’re shouting
- 75. 75 Avoid Needless Capitalization it can make things harder to read and cause confusion
- 76. Place your screenshot here 76 avoid italics they are harder to read
- 77. Place your screenshot here 77 consider color choices aim for high contrast and don’t use color to indicate meaning
- 78. writing well is only the beginning you need a content strategy to sustain it 78
- 81. credits special thanks to this presentation template by SlidesCarnival 81