Designing Web Sites for Academic Libraries, Part 2

An ACRL Online Seminar
September 1 - 27, 2008.

Registration is now open!

Course Description:
This four-week course builds on the work completed in "Designing Web Sites for Academic Libraries, Part 1." Participants will learn about advanced CSS design, accessible menus, and re-Javascript and will review multimedia (FLASH, Quicktime etc.), Web-accessible database applications (PHP, MYSQL, ASP etc.), and content management software options.

Completion of part 1 or the consent of the instructor is a prerequisite. Consent of the instructor will require proof of a completed XHTML standard CSS external page which CSS and XHTML validated icons on it that work.

"Designing Web Sites for Academic Libraries, Part 2" is a primarily asynchronous seminar, allowing participants to work through course material at times convenient to them throughout the week. Participants may also choose to schedule online chat time with the instructor, as they feel necessary. Specific material and activities are expected to be covered during each week of the course. Threaded discussion forums will be available for use in activities and other course-related conversations.

Weekly Schedule

• Week 1: Review of External Cascading Style Sheets; CSS for Navigation
• Week 2: Forms and Designing with Javascript
• Week 3: Designing with Multi-Media: Reviewing the Options (e.g., Quicktime, Flash, screen capture tools, etc.)
• Week 4: Overview of Content Management Systems/Web Database Options

This seminar will be delivered through WebCT. (Trouble accessing WebCT? Visit the WebCT troubleshooting page.)

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Use CSS layout to design highly accessible navigation and menus
• Create basic forms
• Use free-Javascripts to add functionality and design accessible
  navigation and menus
• Make good choices for designing with multi-media, specifically Quicktime, Flash, and screen capture tools.
• Understand the strengths and limitations of Content Management Systems, including systems requirements and costs

Participants will end the session with a form, a cute or functional javascript handler, a navigation tool/menu, and preliminary plans for multimedia and/or cms added to page they created in Part 1.

Course Materials:
All of the required readings and activities for the course will be available online, but it will be useful to have available the references in the recommended materials listed below.

• (Strongly recommended) Jennifer Niederst (2006). Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Ed. O'Reilly. ISBN: 0-596-00987-9
• Elizabeth and Eric Freeman (Forthcoming Dec. 2005). Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML. O'Reilly. ISBN: 0-596-10197-X (recommended for those students who come to class with no HTML experience)
• Carrie Bickner. (2005) Web Design on a Shoestring. New Riders Publishing: Boston ISBN 0-7357-1328-6
• Donald Norman (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. Basic Books ISBN: 0-385-26774-6

Audience:
Librarians and other information specialists who want to learn to design usable, accessible, standard Web pages that will attract the intended users and encourage and invite them to persist and return to the site.

Completion of part 1 or the consent of the instructor is a prerequisite. Consent of the instructor will require proof of a completed XHTML standard CSS external page with CSS and XHTML validated icons on it that work.

Participants should know how to use e-mail and a current standard Web Browser. Mozilla/Firebird , Netscape 7.0, Safari or IE 5.5 or higher is preferred. Some HTML or HTML editor experience will be useful.

Instructor:
Diane Kovacs, Kovacs Consulting (e-mail: diane@kovacs.com)

The instructor has been teaching Web Design and related topics for more than 13 years including LIS590LWL Designing Web Sites for Organizations for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign GSLIS LEEP program.

More information on Diane Kovacs

Course Requirements:
Your participation will require approximately three to five hours per week to:

• Read the online seminar material
• Post to online discussion boards
• Complete activities, which will result in a basic draft academic library oriented Web site
• Complete a seminar evaluation form

Registration
ACRL member: $135
ALA member: $175
CACUL member: Can $195 (charges will be made in U.S. dollars)
Nonmember: $195
Student: $60

Registration is now open!

Register with Credit Card

• You will need to log in with your ALA ID & password. If you do not have an ALA ID & password, you will be asked to create one in order to register.

Register by PO

• Download and complete the PO registration form.
• Submit the form along with your actual PO to ALA registration (fax or mail; see form for details).
• You will not be considered registered for the course until both your PO and the registration form have been received and processed by ALA registration.

Member rates apply to personal memberships only. Want to join ACRL or ALA? Complete the online membership form, available on the ALA Web site. If you join ALA/ACRL within five days of registering, we will adjust your fee (please fax a copy of your completed registration form to ACRL at 312-280-2520).

Payment may be made by credit card or purchase order (PO) only.
If paying by PO, the PO number is required at the time of registration.

Class size is limited to 60 participants. Full refunds will be granted up to 14 days prior to the start of the seminar.