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Explore the journey of improving web content findability at the University of Michigan Library, focusing on information not location. Learn about phased approaches, long-term goals, and the importance of consistent navigation and branding.
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Session A305Findability: Information Not Location Mike Creech Web Content Manager mscreech@umich.edu Ken Varnum Web Systems Manager varnum@umich.edu University Library University of Michigan
Introduction/Overview A Brief History of Our Version of Reality • The current collection of sites for the Library System has grown with no particular plan and each one has its own design and architecture. • The sites correspond with previous library organizational structures but really make no sense to our users or even to some staff members. • Beyond basic information, users need to know which of the libraries holds particular materials and how to use the site of that library.
What We Have Now • About 33 sites served from lib.umich.edu • About 52,000 pages of content • Does not include: • Public Health library • Digital library • Scholarly publishing • Institutional repository • Every month • Average of ~3,000,000 pages viewed • Average of ~500,000 users served
"I Can't Find Anything." • This is how the problem was presented • In discussions with management and staff: • Navigation to known objects difficult • Search & findability a challenge • Branding (as we’ve seen) uneven at best • Sense of place totally absent
Phased Approach • A band-aidConsistent navigation and branding • Major surgeryReinventing the entire web presence
Short-Term Goals • Standard global navigation • Extending “MLibrary” branding • More consistency in layout • Brought content into sharper relief • Moved toward unified web site for system
Phase I: MLibrarification • This included most of the library sites. • Goal: Consistent navigation and sense of place • Out of scope defined by • Significant programming overhead • Significant complexity of pages • Volume of usage vs. size of site
More MLibrarification • Reviewed navigation elements each site used • Created a global scheme to incorporate consistency • Extended the MLibrary brand • Preserved local autonomy over look and feel of each site’s content during the transition
Long-Term Goals • Engineer a more effective search solution • Break down the silos that hold our information • Create an ordered and consistent navigation scheme • Provide users an opportunity to build pathways we did not see
Phase II:Information not Location • Eliminating silos • Fostering community • Highlighting context • Improving findability • Syndicating content
Phase II: Process • Focus Groups • Formal Survey • One Question Survey • Server Access Log and Google Analytics Analysis • Initiate on-going conversations with MLibrary stakeholders • Review and assess existing content
What We've Found • Users want importance to be obvious • Users don’t differentiate between silos, tools and services • Users come to the library website with a task, not necessarily a resource in mind
Process So Far • Generated buy-in from administration • Extended the brand across all sites • Established Advisory Groups • Approach • User Interface Design • Information Architecture • Technology • Faculty • Communicating with library staff • Team blog • Staff newsletter
Collections • Five at present • MLibrary • Mirlyn • Digital Images • Scholarly Publishing • Other • In development • MBooks • Link Resolver
Getting Stuff Out • RSS Feeds • API • JSON • PHP • Styled HTML
Next Steps • Select and implement a CMS • Select an open-source search tool • Develop the information architecture and user interface for the unified web presence • Migrate content and applications into the CMS • Production server live by end of year
Mike Creech Web Content Manager mscreech@umich.edu Ken Varnum Web Systems Manager varnum@umich.edu Thank You http://lib.umich.edu Slides http://www.varnum.org/papers/cil2008.ppt
