This image has become cited in a number of places lately:
I must admit that this image does strike a cord, given the way many university and school websites are organized. As someone who is strongly interested in social media applications, particularly in library catalogues, I sometimes do wonder about the extent to which the addition of these applications hinders or facilitates people’s information needs. I would be interested in hearing any perspectives you might have about this matter, particularly with respect to how we can best organize SIM’s website.
I am not sure how useful this comment will be, but one of the many things that I took into great consideration in choosing a program to do my graduate studies was the university website. More specifically, how accessible the information on it was, and how was it organized. There were many programs that I ruled out simply because I could not navigate my way through their website – the thought process being, that if they couldn’t effectively organize and disseminate information on their website, are they going to be able to provide the necessary skills for working in an environment that is becoming increasingly technical.
Jennifer, your comment is, in fact, extremely useful. Our survey of incoming MLIS students indicates very clearly that our web site is an important tool that potential and incoming students use to learn more about SIM and the MLIS program. Since we are an Information Management school, I believe we need to practice what we preach and have an effective web site that is well organized, intuitive, and easy to navigate. Web sites have increasingly become the public face of an organization.