Starting this week, the Web Implementation and Management Team (WIMT) will field questions about the team and the website, including questions about how the new site will look, the migration timeline for specific units, training and other topics. This week, the focus is on the site’s goals.

Q. What are the goals of the Libraries’ site?

A. WIMT has gathered information and input from stakeholders and Libraries employees to finalize our website goals. We will use these as guiding principles as we work towards delivering an optimal web experience to our users.

Goal 1: Website

The Libraries website will meet the needs of current and future users – whoever or wherever they may be and on whatever device they use.

Strategies:
•        Site will be organized based on Libraries services rather than institutional organization
•        Site will be user-centered, personalized and interactive
•        Deliver customized content based on user (personalization)
•        Site will be updated incrementally to remain contemporary
•        Site will maintain consistent terminology and branding between virtual and physical spaces.
•        Site will be friendly, warm and welcoming
•        Site will reflect the diversity of the Penn State community and contribute to the Libraries’ environment of respect and inclusion

Goal 2: Content

The content of the Libraries website will be discoverable and current. Content reuse and integration with other content sources will be a guiding principle.

Strategies:
•        Content will be modular and portable (not bound by format)
•        Content will be organized thematically
•        Content will use a consistent voice that is jargon-free and comprehensible to all users
•        Content will be created once and shared and used in multiple places
•        Obsolete information will be weeded on a regular basis

Goal 3: Technology

The content management system will be optimized to meet web and accessibility standards, to integrate with other library systems, to support ease of authoring and to promote creativity and flexibility.

Strategies:
•        System will employ leading edge web technologies and features and will integrate with social networks
•        System will be reliable, lightweight and based on standards and open source principles
•        System will be easily integrated into learning management systems, and will provide direct linking through to Libraries’ resources
•        System will be accessible to users of all abilities

Goal 4: People

The leadership, management, developers and authors for the Libraries Web Presence will be strategic, accessible, agile, creative, collaborative and responsive.

Strategies:
•        Decisions will be informed from usability studies, assessment and metrics and based on user needs
•        Libraries’ personnel will have skills and confidence to contribute to CMS for content optimization
•        Changes in web strategy and direction and author and user functionality will be clearly communicated to all authors, faculty and staff

Goal 5: Discovery

Website, content and technology will be optimized to facilitate ease of discovery, access and use

Strategies:
•        Libraries’ resources will be easy to use, easy to find and easy to access
•        Libraries’ discovery tools will be integrated into the website to promote seamless search, discovery and access throughout the Libraries’ web pages

Next week, we will highlight the migration timeline for different libraries and departments. Currently, WIMT is working on what are called “microsites” (for example, ICIK and the People’s Contest sites). Once these are completed, we will start work on other units. More on this next week! For more information, e-mail UL-WIMT@LISTS.PSU.EDU

To read previous WIMT blog entries, see https://sites.psu.edu/librarynews/category/website-migration-updates/