Laura, Author at What Does This Mean to Me, Laura?

A computer screen showing a chaotic assortment of features of a library website

usability

Is your homepage doing too much?

Let’s be real. Most library homepages look like someone tried to squeeze the entire building onto one screen. There’s the event carousel. The newsletter signup. Program promotions. A giant banner about summer reading. And somewhere, buried deep, is the information…

flaming dumpster surrounded by a christmas village. Text reads Because you’re not getting much work done anyway 2024

Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2024 edition)

In previous years, I’ve noted how much we need a distraction from our ongoing dumpster fires, and thus the need for this annual list. That statement still applies. Look away from the flames for just a few minutes and possibly…

A fairy tale castle in the distance as seen through a partial frame of green grass, roses and an overhanging tree

websites

There’s no such thing as a perfect website

When we look at a library website, there are a multitude of decisions that likely went into its creation, and it’s not always easy to discern why or how those decisions were made.

Libraries, stop asking “how”

Recently, I gave a presentation on 2024 technology trends. I always carefully preface this type of session with a disclaimer: I do, in fact, cover trends in technology, and not applications that could (yet) be implemented in libraries. The webinar description…

Are you on a listserv? Don’t be this person

The agency that I work for runs a good number of listservs for library staff and organizations around the state. As a result, we see a lot of the messages that get sent to these listservs. Most users are responsible…

Holiday decor with the text because you're not getting much work done anyway 2023

Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2023 edition)

The year is nearly over and you likely need distractions from the 2023 dumpster fire. Cue my annual list of ways to not notice the news cycle and, of course, to not get your work done. As always there are…

The old web is dying. Where does this leave libraries?

It’s not a secret that the world changed in November of 2022. If you don’t recall, that was when ChatGPT was publicly released. The full impact is still being digested as public consciousness surrounding AI progresses. There’s a great deal…

Human finger reaching for a digital finger

Are librarians the next prompt engineers?

My head is swirling after I read this article in The Atlantic. The title is: Talking to AI Might Be the Most Important Skill of This Century There’s so much in this story that I had some difficulty trying to…

Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2022 edition)

We can sigh with relief, since 2022 is almost over. At any rate, I’m sure that we all could use some fun distractions from the evolving dystopia we might be surrounded by. TBH, I actually had way more than I…

logos

No, your logo shouldn’t be bigger

People are naturally drawn to what’s attractive and easy to understand. Oversized logos, on the other hand, are aggressive and tacky; think of it as visually shouting at your consumers. Grace Cole, Stryvve Marketing Your library is (probably) proud of its logo.…

writing

Make your library’s headlines better (without turning them into clickbait)

“Clickbait” From Oxford Language: noun (on the internet) content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page. I have an intense dislike of clickbait headlines. However, I do…

Does your library have a font problem?

While discussing the aesthetics of a library program promotion, my supervisor made this comment: “Their graphic designer never met a font they didn’t like.” In other words, there were too many fonts being used in one campaign. There wasn’t a…

marketing

How turkey vultures can help your library’s marketing

In a former career, I was an outdoor/environmental education teacher. Many of the kids I got to interact with were from the inner city, and our program was likely the first time they had ever been in the woods. Many…

A funny muffin with eyes, mouth and blue sprinkles

Keeping Up

The Googly-Eyed Technology test

Years ago, I worked in a library where the administration was intrigued by every new available technological advancement. There were a good number of positive things that came out of this interest, and the IT department had a significant amount…

Design

4 rules to make your promotional graphics a lot better

Do you create promotional graphics for your library’s website or social media? Yes, design can be subjective, but there are definitely guidelines that should be considered. After all, you’re not doing this for the sake of creating art: you’re trying…

web accessibility

Long story short: Yes, your library can be sued over its website

Without a doubt, one of the most popular webinars I’ve presented nationwide has been one that introduces library staff to the concept of web accessibility. It’s something I deal with regularly in my job, and I’ve learned so much more…

writing

I’ve written something new.

I’ve taken much of what I’ve thought and learned about website work for libraries, and put it down on paper. You can get a (digital) copy of my Library Technology Report for the American Library Association here, with your ALA…

writing

Stop saying this, because you’re making me cry

I’ve been doing web work for libraries for more than a couple of decades. When I started out, during the early days of the graphic web, libraries were spending significant amounts of staff time introducing the web and how it…

Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2021 edition)

Was 2021 marginally better than 2020? Maybe? At any rate, I’m sure that we all could use some fun distractions. Here are some of my favorites from this year. Happy holidays. Type like a hacker. Just start typing, and this…

logos

Why your library’s logo might be terrible: dos and don’ts of logo design

Hopefully, you've read the other two parts of this series, so I don't want to generally duplicate that information here. Think of this list as "Other Logo-Related Stuff You Need to Know."

logos

Why your library’s logo might be terrible: Things to consider BEFORE the logo is approved

If your library has decided to create a new logo, here are some basic things to consider during the design process.

Man holding a frowning face emoji with the text Part One

logos

Why your library’s logo might be terrible: understanding what a logo does

In my job as a front end designer/developer, I work with a lot of library logos. I also work with a lot of library staff that don't understand the importance of what they do, or how a good one is…

usability

You are not a patron. So act like it.

As a staff person, your view (mental model) of the library's website is incredibly different from that of a patron. It's so very different, that you can't even pretend to be a patron user. It's vital that this is acknowledged.

Personnel

Does anybody actually work here?

Let's start this discussion with a question: Is library staff important?

user experience

Your homepage isn’t nearly as important as you think it is

Yes, the website's homepage is important. But it's not nearly as mission-critical as many staff think it is. Why?

Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2020 edition)

Let's face it: 2020 has been a serious dumpster fire and the more distractions, the better. In that vein, here are some of my favorites from this year. Happy holidays.

tools

Is working from home too quiet for you? Three tools to help

However, even I will sometimes admit that things can get just a little too quiet. Granted, if you've got kids or family trapped in the house with you right now, that might not be one of your problems. For myself,…

eb site design menu navigation elements.

usability

The “3-click rule” has been hogwash since it’s inception

I could go on for a while about how the "rules" of web design have changed in twenty years, but one "rule" that has somehow persisted, despite real data now being available, is that of "Users won't go more than…

business woman businesswoman freelancer tired, asleep working at computer at Christmas

Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2019 edition)

Happy holidays! It’s time for my annual collection of Online Stuff To Waste Time On. You know, in case you needed help not getting your work done. And, by the way, this is the TENTH year I've been putting out…

Keeping Up

Libraries: let’s be honest about “emerging technology”

A couple of years ago, I was asked to do a series of this type of workshop for an out-of-state consortium. When the evaluations came back to me a few weeks afterwards, I got very good marks as a presenter,…

Library interior design with massive bookshelves, concrete floor and city view. 3D Rendering

websites

Your building is not your product

The building ISN'T the library, but it is part of the library's identity.

a magic unicorn made of foil on a purple background with a place under the text

usability

Why do web myths live on in libraries?

Why do these myths continue to be perpetuated in libraries? Perhaps because so many of us grew up alongside the web. We were initiated in the very early days, when it was truly a Wild West-type environment. Not everyone realizes…

The word "TOP 10" written in vintage dirty metal letterpress type on a whitewashed wooden background with ink and paint stains.

trends

Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2018 edition)

Happy holidays! It’s time for my annual collection of Online Stuff To Waste Time On. You know, in case you needed help not getting your work done. Hear the sound of a vintage Viewmaster and dozens of other long-forgotten sounds of everyday…

tools

No Photoshop? Try free LunaPic instead

I work with a good number of smaller libraries that don’t have professional graphic artists on staff and also rarely have the money or expertise to use high-level design software, such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. Oftentimes, our clients…

websites

When it comes to your library’s website, are you a climate change denier?

Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion. W. Edwards Deming One of the least comfortable parts of my job as a web developer/designer is to convince library clients that certain things they may think they want are not…

Podcasting

I got to talk TRS-80s with the Library Pros

If you’re not familiar with the Library Pros, they’re a librarian and a library IT professional, podcasting interviews with folks doing interesting things in the library field. Bob and Chris approached me earlier this year, after seeing my crazy stream…

tools

Cliphy: Add fun to words

I spend a fair amount of time testing out new online tools, usually of the free variety. Some don’t work as advertised. Some are cool, and I sing their praises to the virtual rooftops. Others are just useful in very…

websites

Is Alexa killing off websites? Not quite.

I ran across this Medium post by tech futurist Michael Spencer the other day. In it, Spencer claims that websites are about to disappear because of AI-powered voice assistants, like Alexa. (It’s pretty short, I suggest you take a moment to…

tools

Free online tools you didn’t know you needed

I had the privilege of speaking to a packed house at the Computers in Libraries 2018 conference last month. Here’s my slidedeck, featuring a small sample of some of my favorite online tools. Enjoy! Free Online Tools You Didn’t…

trends

Cars didn’t make horses unemployed…they made horses unemployable

SPOILER ALERT: Humans are the new horses. Welcome to the robot revolution. This riveting 15-minute film really brings home what’s happening on the tech front right now. An important point: a lot of it has already happened. That’s the part not everyone…

websites

Level up your library’s website with this one little thing

In 2016, my workplace did a study to determine the state of various issues on public library websites in Ohio. One of the numbers that was concerning was the widespread lack of a favicon. Over 45% of the 171 libraries…

2017 Because you're not getting much work done anyway

Because you’re not getting much work done anyway (2017 edition)

Happy holidays! It’s time for my annual collection of Stuff You Didn’t Know Existed But Can Waste Your Time On. You know, in case you needed help not getting your work done. Sandcastles: If you, like most people, feel that…

Is your library ready for mobile payments?

Drive up to almost any McDonald’s drive-through window and you will see stickers proclaiming that the restaurant now takes payments through Apple Pay and Android Pay. Visa has just rolled out a program so that New Yorkers can use their…

Podcasting

Should your library be podcasting?

Confession time: I haven’t listened to podcasts in quite a while. I was only sort of marginally aware that they had even made any kind of comeback; it was only after a coworker raved about her podcast habit that I…

tools

Make your own animated GIFs from video captures–easy

Animated GIFs are everywhere, especially in social media. Even my Android phone has many built into its SMS app. They’ve become a very common part of modern communication. Not only do they effectively communicate emotions, but they have a significant…

CTA (Call To Action) marketing concept on colorful sticky notes

marketing

Make your links and buttons more effective

Before we can talk about links or buttons, we’ve got to cover an important concept in online marketing. It’s called the CTA (“Call To Action”). Douglas Karr, writing for MarTech, defines as CTA as: A call to action is typically…

usability

What if your library’s website solved problems?

Go look at your library’s website. Now, go look at the website of the library nearest yours. Now go look at some big city’s website. Heck, go look at most websites I’ve done. And, while you’re looking, pretend that you’re…

trends

Emerging Tech Trends Spring 2017

I did a webinar for OPLIN last month on a few trends we’re seeing come to the fore. You can see it here: https://ohlibrary.adobeconnect.com/p5zkqluwnsi/