While reading the articles and viewing a number of different
media center websites in preparing to this post, I kept a running list of all
of the wonderful ideas I encountered.
First of all, it immediately became clear that fewer and fewer websites
provide just basic information such as the media specialist’s name and contact
information, important dates, hours of operation, and links to outside
resources. Media websites have the
potential to be very interactive and to provide a wealth of information not
only for students and teachers, but also for parents and other members of the
community. It is my opinion, though,
that we should not go too wild and crazy with our websites. In a sense, simple is better, and a lot of
information can be made available if it is well organized and easy to
locate. Media specialists also need to
make sure that they design a site is maintainable. You can have the most awesome looking website
in the world, but if it is not kept current, than the number of visitors will
dwindle and it won’t be seen as a valuable resource within the school.
One idea I
had while reading and viewing websites was to have two faces or views of the
same site, one for students and the other for teachers and/or parents. I did not see an example of this, but I can
imagine it would be possible to create.
I got this idea while thinking about many webquests and the fact that
they can be viewed as a student but then when the Teacher link is clicked, the
same categories are available, but with information for the teacher. I think that students would respond
positively to a side of the site that is designed with them in mind and that
teachers/parents would appreciate a side that met their needs. It seemed to me, while viewing many sites
that the site creators were often trying to strike a balance between being
kid-friendly and having a more strict professional side for adults. While students and adults may view the media
page for some of the same resources, often their needs may be quite
different.
I also like
the idea of the media web site having a connection to a blog where students can
write about what they are reading.
Through this blog they could hold book discussions as well as write book
reviews and recommendations. These
pieces could also be recorded and posted using audio or video formats. Assigning a group of students to help
maintain this blog would be a great project and opportunity for leadership. Blogging could be one of many ways students
can show their voice within the media page.
Another
idea for a media web site would be to include a virtual library tour or
orientation of the media center. A
narrated power point, like the one we are creating for this course could be
attached or embedded into a site in order to provide information to parents or
new students as well as reminders for current students.
I love the
idea of including Google Doc forms or something similar in media web
pages. The North Elementary School
media page has a link to a Google Doc where users can request new materials and
books for the media center. This form
makes it easy not only for users make requests, but it is also a great way for
these requests to be organized and kept in one place for the media
specialist. The Barrow Elementary School
media center page
has a Google Docs section where users can offer suggestions for the media
center as well as note what they really enjoy about the program. Having forms linked or embedded in a website
makes it easy for users to comment or share their thoughts without having to
find a separate form or generate their own written or electronic note. I can imagine that with this form, a media
center like the one at Barrow Elementary would get more feedback because it is
quick, easily available, and anonymous.
One last
idea for a media center website that I would like to mention is the connections
made to social networking sites. Many of
the sites I viewed had a link where you could follow them on Twitter or
Facebook, for example. I think that
these resources are a great way for parents and older students to keep up with
news and updates in the media center. I
know that I check Facebook on my cell phone at least a couple of times a day
and would love to see updates for a media center posted directly to my
newsfeed.
Above all,
it is important for media specialists to create a website that works for their
students, teachers, parents, and community.
It is essential to design websites based on the interests and needs of
the stakeholders. At the same time it is
important to seek feedback on the website and its features. Aspects of the site that are rarely used can
and should be updated or even replaced.
With careful thought and consideration, a great media site can be an
asset to a wonderful program.
I liked your idea about having a blog for students to write about what they are reading. We have talked about that but have come up with 2 problems in our district. First, 99% of blogs are blocked by our internet filters. We have created lib guides for teachers to use in their classes before and linked them to blogs and they are all blocked. We submitted to have them unblocked but were turned down. Also, the other problem with a blog is that you have to keep up with it to make sure that students do not make inappropriate comments and that is alot to keep up with, which goes along with one of the points you made earlier that I agreed with also. I think when creating a website, you have to create one that suits not only your students and teachers, but one that you can easily maintain.
ReplyDeleteI agree that websites should be simple and organized. Usually, when I am looking at a website, I only have a short amount of time to locate the information I need. If websites are too busy or outdated, like you mentioned, viewers will stop visiting. You also metioned that having an interactive component where students could discuss books they are reading, make recommendations and write reviews would be a good idea. We did this at my school using Wikis and it was very successful. Students could visit our Wiki after reading abook from the public library during their Summer Reading Program and recommend it to others and write their reactions. Many students took advantage of this and visited the Wiki on a weekly basis. I would love to have this avavilable on my media center website.
ReplyDeleteI think having a blog or wiki for students to recommend books and write book reviews is great. It would be really good to have a blog, because I know on Blogger you can set it up where students can post information, but it will not show up until it's approved by the site administrator. That way you can check it maybe twice a day or so, and not feel the need to constantly check to make sure nothing inappropriate has been written.
ReplyDeleteI liked the idea of incorporating the use of social media. It is a great way to keep parents, students, and the community aware of all that is going on in the media center. I had not thought of getting feedback on the website, but that is a great idea. Then media specialists can know what they should add or take out to make their webpage useful to their patrons.
I agree that the websites should be simple and organized. If information is not organized efficiently, then patrons will not use the website. I also feel that it is important to keep the information up to date on these websites. If I visit a website and the information is out of date, I am much less likely to check that website again for information. I really liked the idea for a student view and a teacher view of the page. This is also an idea I had never thought about before.
ReplyDeleteI commented on another post that a basic website should be "no big deal" at all for an LMS, but your research has found a number of ideas that could make the process of designing a webpage more interesting and make yours stand out from others' media centers.
ReplyDeleteThe idea for certain forms to be available from the site, like the materials request form, is a good idea, so that teachers are not necessarily limited to giving requests at the end of the year, when our minds are not necessarily on what books the library didn't have in the past year.
Having 2 views for students and teachers is also a good idea, and parents could look at either side, or have a distinct tab within the site as well.
I like the idea of students being able to post to the site, but possibly that's where a wiki link might be good, as opposed to a blog. Your idea to have a team of students to review the contents would be helpful and necessary.
Lastly, linking to social networking sites would be great because a lot of parents and students might not seek out the LMC website routinely, but if updates are streamed into their Newsfeed on Facebook, for instance, it would be hard to miss.
I have been really trying to promote the use of Edmodo in the classrooms, and I never thought about having an Edmodo page for the library linked to our library website unitl I read your post. When you mentioned using links to social media to promote media center updates, I thought about how great it would be to have a link to our Edmodo page (I think this would work better in my situation that Facebook or Twitter since they are both blocked and I would not be able to post or view updates from school).
ReplyDeleteOk, so the last comment I left on another post mentioned having a teacher area on the LMC web page! (Great minds think alike?) I agree that teachers would appreciate their own little space on the web page.
ReplyDeleteI have been to several media center web pages and the most horrible thing to me is the number of outdated links and overall information. What does it say about your LMC if the web page has not been updated in over 2 years? I believe you hit the nail on the head that an easily maintainable web page should take precedence over any "fancy-schmancy" page.
Speaking of "fancy-schmancy", the interactive features you mentioned such as Google Docs or blogging capabilities could bring in users and traffic to the page. I think it should be every LMS's goal to make the LMC's web page one of the most visited pages during school hours on campus. Great Job!