Changes to the Catalog

Good afternoon-



If you have visited the HPL website this week you have most likely noticed changes to the main page. This email it to briefly explain those changes and describe what you can expect to see in the near future.



The launch of the redesigned website last summer was the first phase of an ongoing plan to update our site. Since that time, we have formed a group to provide input and guidance about the site in general and in the following areas specifically:



· The purpose and content of the four boxes on the main page

· Identification/assignment of page “owners” (those responsible for content on various pages)

· A better process for quality control (making sure that links work appropriately, content on various pages is accurate, etc.)

· Identification of trends – both technological and societal – that we should address on the site



The group consists of Syma Zerkow, Judith Hiott, Mike Van Campen, Edward Melton, Donna Jackson, Sue Kaufman, Pedro Mosquera, Paty Bustamante, Ron Stauss, and me. Gina Stemmer was a member of the group prior to her retirement, and much of her input is reflected in the changes made this week.



The changes implemented this week were in response to the first bullet point above, the purpose and content of the four boxes on the main page. We have reorganized the four boxes to cover four broad areas:



E-Library
Services
HPL Locations
HPL and Community News


Our plan is for these four boxes to be constant, i.e. the first box will always be “e-library”, the second, “services”, the third, “locations”, and the fourth, “news”. We will soon be adding “features” to each category, so that on a regular basis there will be a featured electronic service, HPL location, etc., which will allow us to more specifically promote specific databases and other electronic services, library services, and locations. In addition, the graphics in the boxes will change to reflect the feature in that category.



Our hope is that this reorganization will be descriptive enough that our customers can quickly find the services and information that are important to them, while at the same time allowing us to selectively and creatively promote the vast array of resources, services and programs offered at HPL.



Again, these changes are part of an ongoing process to make our site useful and engaging to customers and staff. The group meets every two weeks, and is making great progress on the other three bullet points listed above. Please feel free to let one of us know if you have questions or suggestions regarding the site.



Thanks-

Greg

Greg Simpson, Assistant Director

Communications Division

Houston Public Library

(O) 832-393-1333

(C) 713-851-8390

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