Matthew Reidsma

Work Notes

Updates from the GVSU Libraries’ Web Team.
Archive // Subscribe: EmailRSS

Make Your Own Catalog Mockup Revisited

Thanks to everyone that sent along screen shots and comments about the “Make Your Own Catalog Mockup.” There seemed to be universal support for dropping the Summon Search bar in the catalog and adding the website navigation, but the crowd was mixed on the Catalog navigation. I’ve included each screen option below with the catalog navigation both on and off.

For the folks who wanted the catalog navigation, if the search bar was on every screen in the catalog, would the catalog navigation be necessary? I ask because then all of the links would be duplicated:

  • The search options in the top section are all (or can be all) in the drop-down for the search
  • My Library Account is duplicated in the top right
  • Loan policies and purchase suggestions are duplicated in the navigation menu and on the catalog homepage (potentially).
    • Sub question: would it make sense to also have purchase suggestion linked when someone doesn’t find something? Just a thought.
  • Just Ask goes to the same place as “Get Help Now”
  • Comments will be replaced soon with something that works across all of our web pages & chat.
Figure 1A

Figure 1A: Catalog home with catalog navigation

Figure 1B

Figure 1B: Catalog home without catalog navigation

Figure 2A

Figure 2A: Keyword Results with catalog navigation

Figure 2B

Figure 2B: Keyword Results without catalog navigation

Figure 3A

Figure 3A: Title Results with catalog navigation

Figure 3B

Figure 3B: Title Results without catalog navigation

My vote is that we move toward the mockups 1B, 2B, and 3B in the near future, since the contents of the catalog navigation are duplicated everywhere else.

The links on the homepage also received mixed support. I’d love to hear more thoughts on this!