Task #10 - New Website

The new website is clean, modern, easy to use, easy to navigate. It makes more of our services more visible. It allows patrons to contact and interact with us better. It's great that folks don't need to know which menu will take them to what they're looking for. It uses natural language people can relate to and understand. I might, a tiny bit, miss a webslide-esque feature that highlights the newest goings-on, but understand why they had to go. I like that all the blogs will feed into the same...I like that folks will be able to register for classes/events directly from the events calendar, evantually. I like a constant "You Are Here" guide across the top, and the consistent info/links on the right-side panel. It just looks like we're part of this century now...hurrah! This brings our website up-to-speed with our new catalog, and now they both seem modern and effecient, more what people expect. Job well done!

Task #9 Universal Class

I really enjoy Universal Class and think it will be incredibly helfpul to a lot of our patrons, or groups in the community. It's easy to sign up and the class list is very extensive. I found applicable topics for mostly all my LibGuides - so things that we used to only have magazines, books, DVD's for - like cooking, nutrition, home repair - now we have really strong online resources for, also. Not only does this take us above and beyond all of our computer class offerings in a single bound, but there are a lot of people who might be intimidated by in-person instuction, but willing to participate in something like this. One day, I will sign on to take something personally fun...(baking pies?)...but for now I have signed up for Project Management. It is not as fun as baking pies...::sigh::. While the topic admittedly makes me sleepy, the format is intuitive. Read the lesson, write a little essay, take a quick quiz, take the next lesson. There's also options for those who want to be more involved - discussion boards, sending messages to other "students." This gives us a lot of great options.