Ponder This….

..about the future of the library Web site:

Facebook is the 5th most valuable US Internet company.

Use of the library web site by college students has DROPPED over 50% in the last two years.

1% of information seekers start at the library Web site.

I think it’s time the Web Redesign Team at Anytown/Anycollege Library that has been meeting these past few months stopped and seriously considered what this means. Shouldn’t part of that time and energy be focused on emerging societal trends? Web trends? User needs? How can we better position the library’s resources online? How can we embed those resources and ourselves where both are found?

I love evidence. I love using it as a starting point for making decisions, planning and evaluation. If you haven’t considered some recent findings – such as the OCLC reports – it might just be time to do so. Let me know what you think!