This is Matt again.

So, in case you hadn’t noticed, the library’s just launched a new web site.  And one big thing that’s changed was something that surprised me.

A lot of the words I use all the time and think are obvious are instead off-putting jargon to people.  So while the old website was filled with ambiguous words like ‘databases’ and ‘reference’ and the like, words that could mean different things in different contexts, people wanted words that describe what they’re actually there to do.  Words like research.

So our Aaron Hill and our other talented friends in marketing did a lot of reading and usability testing and put together a website that does just that.  Things are called what people expect them to be called.  The page is less cluttered with extra material so that it’s easy to narrow in on what you really wanted to find anyway.  You might have to click a few more times than you’re used to, but the choices will be clearer.  No searching a huge block of text for the one link you really want!

And if you’re a fuddy-duddy like me that liked the old jargon, don’t worry.  There’s a translation guide for us: http://www.iue.edu/library/documents/the-new-library.pdf

Check it out at http://www.iue.edu/library!