I was glancing through one of the websites for this week, the "Library Loft" from the Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Public Library, and could not help but notice the color scheme of the page and that it seemed extremely busy. Some of the fonts were off center or a little crazy. Now, I understand why web designers make pages like this. It is probably some sort of offshoot from advertising, in which the bigger, the brighter, the better, or at least that is what it seems like to me. While I do think the content of the page is certainly important and applaud the effort of the library's staff, it has this feeling, to me at least, that they are trying too hard.
I have been to several of the libraries in Charlotte and have family there, and know that the library system is of high quality. There are good teen spaces and great programming, at least from what little personal experience I can remember. However, this page makes me feel like the designers are trying to trick teens into thinking the library is something different than library. Now, I am all for anything that gets kids to read and into the library. However, I think this trend of overdesign hurts that more than it helps. Perhaps the site is designed by teens, but I somehow doubt that. For me, it is screaming to teenagers to come look at the library, it is not just books!!! I am OK with that message on a basic level, but only to a certain extent. For me, it is important to let the activities of the library speak for themselves. Advertising is great, but in a manner that does not become the attraction but allows the skills of a particular library to show through. Just from glancing at this page, I do not get a sense of the library, I get a sense that they know how to put together a website and a myspace profile. As I think I have preached throughout the semester, there needs to be better balance. Use these tools to attract kids, but not so much as the tools become more important than other crucial aspects of service. This page seems to think that kids must be tricked and are not informed enough to understand what the library has to offer. (Perhaps I am simply too judgmental and snobby, though.)
OK, so I am done raving and leave with a question: do pages/sites/whatevers that admittedly look good and could have serious appeal overreach somewhat? Have many libraries taken the step down the road of Web 2.0 too far? (that is another can of worms entirely, I mean just in this case for discussion)
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I think of these webpages as packaging - it is hard to resist a colorful package. It is, in a sense, advertising for the library. The library has great stuff to offer youth, but you have to get them interested first. In the world of over-stimulation in which we live, there are always many entities vying for young people's attention. Some young people will find their way to the library without special web pages and programing, but many more will not, and what a loss for them.
It is an interesting discussion as to whether libraries are adding to the already burning-out-of-control fire of information/images that young people filter through on a daily basis. But on the other had, how do libraries capture their attention without competing in the world that they know. And even though the packaging has changed, one hopes that the core content available to youth in the library has not.
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