The IFAS ILL webpage had its beginnings in simplicity. The idea was to create a webpage specifically suited for IFAS members and their immediate constituents. With this in mind, four main areas of the webpage were designed. First, a front-end homepage with the most critical information present -- ILL policies and costs to the patron, as well as the point for links to the other three sections of the entire webpage. Next, the request form webpage is the electronic request form already used by the University of Florida Smathers' Libraries. In this way, IFAS members can order ILL materials directly from these pages and not have to surf through WebLUIS and the UF Libraries homepage for the needed request form. Also, this form is easily printable and able to be faxed to the ILL office. The third webpage, the ILL Links page, was designed to give all IFAS users an easy way to access all IFAS stations across Florida. Even more, a short explanation for each link was included so that a user would know, in the shortest possible terms, what each station's mission is and the work that is performed there. Finally, a fourth page was created with useful WebLUIS and Internet links to take IFAS members directly to the most needed databases in OCLC's FirstSearch and Cambridge Scientific's vast array of databases. The idea of simplicity thus remains intact, with the entire webpage easy to navigate and efficiently useful for the target group.
The design of the IFAS ILL Webpage took into account several criteria for creating a simple, efficient site. Many materials on webpage design were referred to, and a bibliography is included at the end of this page. The most important areas that were focused on were the ideas of consistent layout and uniformity on all pages, minimal use of text in the various lists and menus, simple navigational links back to the homepage, and no page being longer than two printed pages. These ideas of webpage design keep patron frustrations to a minimum, and allows the webpage to be easily edited by those other than the initial designers. This is an informational webpage, one that needs to give IFAS members needed information and links quickly and does not involve much surfing of useless pages and unrelated links. All of these ideas were accomplished by remembering who the target audience and users are, and what they need most when using a webpage specifically designed for them. In this sense, these webpages succeed very well.
Finally, the goals of these webpages are twofold. First, and most obvious, is the relationship between the designers of this webpage, the webpage's IFAS members and constituents, and the assumed use of the information found at this site. With the above criteria taken into account, the first goal is met simply and efficiently. This webpage has gathered disparate information from various online sources strewn throughout the University of Florida's vast webpages and has successfully given users easy to use links and explanations in order to make the most useful webpage possible for the target group. The second goal is to register this page with all possible web indexing systems, such as Yahoo!, Lycos, AltaVista, Infoseek and many others. In this way, the webpage can be useful to others outside of the target group. While portions of the webpage are specifically designed for IFAS members, others in the worldwide research community can benefit from the information and links provided here. It is the hope that this webpage will be registered in the near future with the above indexing systems, and that its use will continue to expand both in a virtual sense, but also in a technical, editing sense. The page is designed to grow and become more than what it is now, and that others in a similar capacity as the original designers can add to and further the mission of this webpage.
Adams, Joyce A. "Turning Over a New Page: Several Days in the Life of a Web Site Developer." Online, v. 21, 1997.
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Fleming, Jennifer. "User Testing." http://www.ahref.com/guides/design/199806/0615jefprintable.html. Visited 03/29/99.
Goudsward, David R. "Designing a Library Web Page." Library Mosaics, v. 8, 1997.
Gregory, Gwen & Marlo M. Brown. "World Wide Web Page Design: A Structured Approach." Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Information Supply, v.7, no. 3, 1997.
Jantz, Ronald. "Web Design for Librarians." http://scc01.rutgers.edu/SCCHome/web.htm. Visited 03/29/99.
Knight, Lorrie A. "Locating Public Domain Images: Some Sites to Visit to Enhance Your Web Page." College and Research Libraries News, no.1, 1998.
McClements, Nancy & Cheryl Becker. "Writing Web Page Standards." College and Research Libraries News, no. 1, 1996.
Morton, Walter. "Maintaining Your Library's Web Page." College and Research Libraries News, no. 7, 1997.
Schneider, Karen G. "Five Steps to a Home Page on the World Wide Web." American Libraries, v. 26, 1995.
Stover, Mark & Steven D. Zink. "World Wide Web Home Page Design: Patterns and Anomalies of Higher Education Library Home Pages." Reference Services Review, v. 24, no. 3, 1996.
Strain, Helen C. & Pauline M. Berry. "Better Page Design for the World Wide Web." Online & CDROM Review, v. 20, 1996.
Sweet, Charles E. "The Novice's Guide to Basic Web Page Design." Database, v. 20, 1997.
Vavrek, Bernard F. "Your Public Library has a Web Page: So What?" American Libraries, v. 30, no. 1, 1999.
Wan, Hakman A & Chi-Wai Chung. "Web Page Design and Network Analysis." Internet Research, v. 8, no. 2, 1998.
West, Shelly T. "Taming the Wild Web Page: A Web Page Consultant Tells All." Information Outlook, v.1, 1997.
This page was created by Karen Brown, Jane Anne Carey and James Ruszczyk
For fulfillment of requirements for LIS 5937-331 in Spring 1999.
The page was last updated on 09-13-02.
Send a comment about this page to Jane Anne
Carey (jacarey@ufl.edu)
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